Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain hire celebrity photographer to take their official 20th wedding anniversary portrait as they continue to present a united front following 'affair' claims by her former brother-in-law

Queen Letizia and King Felipe have tapped a celebrity photographer to take new official portraits to mark their 20th wedding anniversary – as they continue to present a united front despite accusations of 'affair' from her former brother-in-law.

According to Spanish media reports, the couple have chosen Annie Leibovitz, who photographed the late Queen Elizabeth II in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace in 2007 and took the last portrait of John Lennon just hours before he was murdered.

Letizia and Felipe will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22.

The last official portraits of the royal couple were taken in 2020 by photographer Estela de Castro at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Letizia stunned in a bright pink dress with silver embroidery by Carolina Herrera in October 2019, previously worn during the ascension of Emperor Naruhito.

She was adorned with dazzling jewelry, including the Tiara de las Flores de Lis, made of platinum and diamonds with the Fleurs de Lys emblem of the House of Bourbon, which has been in the Spanish royal family since King Alfonso XIII presented it to Queen Ena . as a wedding gift in 1906.

She paired the tiara with diamond-encrusted bracelets from Cartier and round earrings, also made of diamonds.

The mother-of-two wore the sash and plaque of the Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Carlos III.

In the gala portrait, her husband Felipe VI wore a large selection of his own royal orders, including the Scallop of the Order of the Golden Fleece, the large necklace of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Carlos III, the plaque of the Royal and Distinguished Order Order of Carlos III and the plates of the Great Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit.

The couple's new official portraits will take place ahead of their 20th wedding anniversary in May, despite allegations of 'affair' from her former brother-in-law, which rocked the Spanish royal family in November.

Jaime Peñafiel, 91, who made a series of bombshell accusations about Queen Letizia in the book “Letizia & I,” was fired by the newspaper where he had worked for 20 years.

Late last year, the veteran journalist sent shockwaves through Spain's royal family after claiming the Queen was romantically involved with her ex-brother-in-law.

The book relied heavily on allegations made by Jaime Del Burgo, 53, who sensationally claimed he was still in a relationship with Letizia after her marriage to King Felipe in 2004.

The businessman told the author that he met Letizia before 2000 and that their relationship began during a romantic trip to Venice, years before she met King Felipe.

The journalist spoke to Argentinian publication Semana and confirmed that he was no longer employed by El Mundo.

During the interview, the journalist denied that the decision to leave El Mundo was made months ago.

Initial reports in Spanish media claimed that Jaime Peñafiel was fired due to 2024 budget constraints.

However, the author claimed that the decision to fire him was made the day he complained about a “highly offensive” article printed about him.

British businessman Jaime del Burgo claimed he and Letizia were partners before he married her younger sibling Telma Ortiz, from whom he is now divorced.

He then made the astonishing claim that he and the former news anchor talked about starting their own family and a new life together in the United States during a “secret romance” while she was still with Spanish King Felipe.

He later revealed that he is preparing his own autobiographical book – 'Nothing More Than the Truth' – in a further blow to the Spanish royal family, which has so far responded with silence.

The 53-year-old father-of-two sparked controversy late last year by posting an updated selfie the Spanish queen took in a bathroom mirror during one of her pregnancies as 'proof' of their alleged romance.

It showed her wearing a pashmina that he claimed to have given her.

The businessman claimed that their romantic relationship originated in Venice and dated back more than twenty years.

On Boxing Day, Jaime shared with his thousands of followers on

He listed them in his claim as: '1) Love affair, from 2002 to 2004; 2) Friends and Confidants, from 2004 to 2010; 3) Long-term and ongoing love affair, 2010 and 2011; 4) As brothers-in-law, from 2012 to 2016.'

He further writes: 'It is the third relationship that ends abruptly after two years, a few months after the abdication of Letizia as Princess of Asturias, the divorce from Felipe and the settlement as a couple in New York, which we had planned.'

In another post, he claimed that he and Letizia had discussed the issue of Felipe's divorce and that they had sought legal advice, adding: “We considered New York as the best option for permanent residence, the idea that we would have a child through a surrogate mother in Los Angeles. Angeles was asked to marry me.'

Telma Ortiz is now dating Irish lawyer Gavin Bonnar and the couple welcomed their first child together in October 2021. Gavin shares two children with his first wife, musician Sharon Corr.

Referring to the scandal, a spokesperson for the Spanish royal family told FEMAIL: “We have no comment on this.”