The Affair Drama That Will Haunt Queen Letizia Forever

It feels almost like royal marriages and cheating rumors go hand-in-hand nowadays, based on the sheer number of affair scandals involving royal families that have popped up over the years. The British royal family might be the unofficial champion in this category, considering almost every couple has faced such accusations. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II's relationship was plagued by infidelity rumors, while their son King Charles III admitted to having an affair with Queen Camilla while he was married to Princess Diana. Sarah Ferguson's toe-sucking scandal led to the breakdown of her relationship with the royal family, while rumors that William, Prince of Wales cheated on Catherine, Princess of Wales went so viral that he was forced to send legal letters to British publications. However, the Spanish royal family might have given them a run for their money when juicy but unverified details about Queen Letizia's alleged affair with her former brother-in-law surfaced in 2024.

In royal reporter Jamie Peñafiel's book, "Letizia & I," Jaime del Burgo claimed he was an old flame whom the journalist-turned-queen met and began dating before Felipe even entered her life. According to the businessman, they broke things off when Letizia started seeing the king in 2002, but they allegedly decided to continue their romantic relationship after she tied the knot with Felipe two years later. Del Burgo alleged that their purported secret relationship became serious enough that he and Letizia later started working towards "being free" to marry and start a family with each other, as quoted by the Daily Mail. However, Letizia ultimately chose Felipe and allegedly called it quits with Del Burgo in 2011. The following year, the latter wed Letizia's sister, Telma, but the marriage ended in a split within a couple of years.

Journalist Jaime Peñafiel wrote in "Letizia & I" that King Felipe supposedly found out about Queen Letizia's alleged infidelity from the reports he received from her bodyguards, and it "crushed and destroyed" him. The author went on to suggest that Felipe allegedly contemplated divorce at one point and that Letizia's purported cheating caused tension between her and the rest of the Spanish royal family. All of these things remain rumors at this point since Spain's royal family hasn't addressed the allegations made by Peñafiel and Letizia's ex-brother-in-law and supposed affair partner, Jaime del Burgo, in the controversial book. However, Del Burgo doubled down on his claims during a July 2024 interview with Clarín, telling the newspaper (via the Daily Mail): "We have shared many years of our lives together. We have been a family. As I have always said, ours was not a relationship of lovers. The lover would be him, in any case. I mean Felipe."

Throughout the affair saga, Letizia and Felipe have channeled their British counterparts and put on a united front while staying silent on the various speculations surrounding their marriage. Three months after celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary in May 2025, the couple was the picture of wedded bliss when they attended a royal engagement in Mallorca, Spain. After wrapping up their royal duties, the pair enjoyed a private getaway to Greece with their two daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia.