Queen Letizia Showed Support for Ukraine with Her Latest Outfit

Published Mar 4, 2022

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5:24pm

Queen Letizia of Spain is the latest royal to show her public support for the people of Ukraine.

The queen was spotted at the Mutua Madileña auditorium yesterday wearing a vyshyvanka, which is a traditional blouse worn by the people of Ukraine and Belarus. This fashion statement was first noticed by the Daily Mail, reporting that the royal wore the meaningful embroidered top while walking throughout Madrid. She paired the article of clothing with black slacks and matching heels, along with a snakeskin belt.

Queen Letizia's top was seemingly in response to the recent invasions of Ukraine by Russian troops that have been attacking the country. While royals are often advised not to take political stances, it appears the queen decided to show her support through her style.

Paolo Blocco/Getty Images

Historically, the vyshyvanka has been a rich part of Ukrainian culture, where it is considered a talisman that brings good luck, as well as a symbol of patriotism. The colors and pattern chosen for the embroidery also signify the region in which it was made.

Queen Letizia is the latest in a line of royals who have shown their support for Ukraine. Last week, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared a personally-written note to their Twitter account that said, “In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future. Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future.” They signed the message, “W & C.”

This arrived only a few days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared a message to their Archewell site, which said, “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same.”

Shout-out to Queen Letizia for her subtle support.

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Joel Calfee

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Joel is the former Associate Editor for News & Entertainment and has been reporting on all things pop culture for over 5 years. Before working at PureWow, he served as a Features Editor at ROCKET Magazine. When he's not dissecting the latest trends in entertainment (or guiding you on what to watch), he covers all the hottest red carpet looks and fashion movements. When he steps away from the keyboard, you can likely find him at an NYC concert, thrift store or LGBTQ+ bookstore happily perusing the shelves.

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