Queen Letizia was accompanied by her new chief assistant for the first time as she made an appearance on Wednesday.
María Dolores Ocaña Madrid, aged 51, assumes the position as head of the Queen’s Secretariat, making history as the first woman to hold this role.
Donning a dark blue dress paired with a camel coat, she was seen alongside Queen Letizia at the Bicentennial of the National Police event held at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Furthermore, she was observed seated behind the queen at the ‘El Barco de Vapor’ and ‘Gran Angular’ youth Literature Awards on Tuesday, as well as a few rows behind her at the “EmociónArte” concert by the Princess of Girona Foundation at the Royal Theater on Monday.
María, who officially began her duties on April 30th, previously served as Chief State Attorney at the Ministry of Education, first encountering the queen at the Inauguration of the World Healthy Food Centre in Valencia in 2019.
She succeeds Letizia’s longtime chief aide, José Manuel Zuleta, Duke of Abrantes, who worked with the queen for over 17 years, starting from her time as Princess of Asturias.
This transition follows Camilo Villarino assuming the role of head of the royal household in January, succeeding King Felipe’s longtime private secretary of 30 years.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia are set to celebrate two significant milestones in the upcoming months – their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22nd and the tenth anniversary of Felipe’s accession to the throne on June 19th.
