Queen Letizia remembers her grandmother Menchu ​​on her most special day

On July 27, Queen Letizia had to face one of the worst news for her. Her beloved grandmother Mechu Álvarez del Valle lost her life at the age of 93. She died peacefully, at her home in Sardeu, the small Asturian town that had been her home since she was practically a child.

The monarch was very close to her and her death was a heavy blow. Today she remembers her especially because Menchu ​​would be 94 years old.

For the first time, Don Felipe’s wife will not be able to pick up the phone to congratulate her from Zarzuela and worry about her health, which had been warning of the inevitable end several months ago.

They kept in constant telephone contact, but she also used to visit her grandmother more than she was known to the public. Whenever her busy schedule permitted, Queen Letizia organized an express trip to Sardeu to meet with Menchu ​​Álvarez del Valle along with her daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, and her husband King Felipe.

The visits filled the veteran journalist with joy, who became one of the most prominent voices on Asturian radio. “Her greatest illusion was when Letizia or Telma brought her their great-granddaughters. The word pride falls short”, a source close to the family told ‘El Español’.

Menchu ​​Álvarez del Valle was not only a grandmother for Queen Letizia, but also established herself as her greatest reference in terms of her journalistic career. She was an inspiration for monarch, who followed in her footsteps and reached the top of her profession, until she changed the teleprompter for the crown.

When she made the leap to the Royal Family, Menchu ​​Álvarez del Valle was one of those who most supported her granddaughter Letizia in her decision, and, unlike other relatives, always had good words towards the monarchy.

In fact, it is said that the veteran journalist was an accomplice in the first meetings between the consort and Don Felipe, giving them the privacy of her house in Sardeu so that they could see each other without attracting the attention of the press.

For this and much more, Queen Letizia will always fondly remember Menchu ​​Álvarez del Valle thinking, like so many others, that Grandparents should be eternal.