Queen Letizia wraps up warm in a black coat to attend journalism seminar in La Rioja

Queen Letizia of Spain balanced her love of fashion with her need for warmth in a glamorous black coat and grey suit for a journalism seminar in La Rioja today.

The Spanish queen, 52, arrived at Yuso Monastery in San Millán de la Cogolla for the closing ceremony of the 17th International Seminar on Journalism and Language as temperatures teetered around freezing.

To combat the cold, the royal mother-of-two donned a knee-length black coat which was cinched in at the waist with a matching belt.

Dressed in wide-legged grey trousers and practical block heels, former journalist Letizia was prepared to ward off the chilly winter temperatures.

Her effortlessly glamorous outfit was completed with a fashionable handbag worth around £1,200 from luxury brand Caroline Herrera.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, the royal sported a pair of gold earrings in the shape of flower blossoms and finished off her look with a smattering of glamorous makeup, while leaving her hair down.

The kind-hearted queen took the time to speak to a group of children lingering outside the monastery before heading inside to preside over the closing ceremony. 

Organised by San Millán de la Cogolla and the FundéuRAE, journalists from across the world gathered in La Rioja to discuss the challenges that war correspondents face and how the digital age has changed reporting on conflict.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, the royal sported a pair of gold earrings in the shape of flower blossoms and finished off her look with a smattering of glamorous makeup, while leaving her hair down 

The kind-hearted queen took the time to speak to a group of children lingering outside the monastery before heading inside to preside over the closing ceremony

Letizia will no doubt be in her element at the awards ceremony as she worked as a TV reporter before marrying King Felipe of Spain in 2004.

Her journalism career saw her report from Washington in the US, Guadalajara in Mexico and Iraq during the war.

She also broadcast live from ground zero after the 9/11 attacks in September 2001.

Letizia, whose father Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez and stepmother Ana Togores are both journalists, worked in TV and newspapers before marrying into the Spanish royal family in 2004.

After a stint at Austrian daily paper, La Nueva España, she went on to work for ABC, a popular national newspaper that enjoys the third largest circulation in Spain. 

Next came a stint at Spanish news agency EFE before a move to Guadalajara in Mexico saw her take on a role on local paper, Siglo 21.

Back in Spain a year later, she worked for the Spanish version of Bloomberg, a news channel and agency specialising in economics, before moving to CNN+.

By the time she met her husband-to-be, Letizia was working for popular TV channel 24 Horas, where along with anchoring the popular Telediario 2 evening news bulletin, she reported on a wide range of breaking news events.

To combat the cold, the royal mother-of-two donned a knee-length black coat which was cinched in at the waist with a matching belt

Her effortlessly glamorous outfit was completed with a fashionable handbag from luxury brand Caroline Herrera 

Inside, Letizia is in her element at the seminar, having worked as a TV reporter before marrying into the Spanish royal family

Her journalism career saw her report from Washington, in the US, Guadalajara in Mexico and Iraq during the war

In her role as queen, she has always made time to go back to her roots and attend events centred around journalism. 

Indeed, Letizia’s appearance at the seminar today comes just weeks after she attended the 35th anniversary of Spanish newspaper El Mundo in Madrid.

There, the mother-of-two looked sensational in a tweed dress which featured long sleeves and off-the-shoulder detailing.

She completed the chic ensemble with black pointed heels and a added sparkling touch with diamond drop earrings.

The royal posed up a storm at the photocall and presentation of the 22nd edition of the International Awards of El Mundo.

El Mundo (The World in English) was founded by Pedro J. Ramírez, Alfonso de Salas, Balbino Fraga and Juan González in 1999, and it is the second most read newspaper in Spain. 

Previously at the 30th anniversary of the paper Letizia’s husband King Felipe said the publication was ‘a defender of the freedoms and rights of all citizens’.

The Queen of Spain attends the 35th anniversary of Spanish newspaper El Mundo in Madrid on December 5

Letizia’s journalism career saw her report from Washington in the US, Guadalajara in Mexico and Iraq during the war

In a speech he said: ’30 years have passed; three decisive decades of the history of our country. 

‘And tonight we commemorate or celebrate what in them has been the extraordinary contribution to this newspaper of so many professionals, to portray them, describe them, even contribute to shaping them and leaving the testimonies of their protagonists for history. Congratulations to all of them. 

‘El Mundo, at this time, has become one of the most influential newspapers in our country, defender of the freedoms and rights of all citizens, especially the right to information and freedom of expression, as essential grounds of any rule of law.’