Queen Letizia of Spain mourning death of close family member

King Felipe’s wife is said to have had a close relationship with her relative

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JULY 27, 2021 2:37 PM EDTJUL 27, 2021, 2:37 PM EDT

Queen Letizia of Spain’s grandmother María del Carmen “Menchu” Álvarez del Valle has reportedly passed away. Semana magazine reported on Tuesday that the Spanish royal’s paternal grandmother has died at the age of 93. According to the outlet, King Felipe’s wife had a very close relationship with her grandmother.

Queen Letizia's grandmother (second from the left) has reportedly passed away — Queen Letizia’s grandmother (second from the left) has reportedly passed away

Menchu was born in Santander in 1928, but lived in Oviedo since she was young, per Semana. The Spanish radio journalist’s husband, José Luís Ortiz Velasco, died in 2005. The pair were parents to son Jesús José Ortiz Álvarez, who is Letizia’s father, as well as daughters María del Henar and Cristina.

In an interview with La Razón last year, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia’s great-grandmother gushed, “I think there is nothing better than being a grandmother. It’s very nice.”

The Spanish royal is said to have had a close relationship with her paternal grandmother

The Queen’s grandmother also wished happiness for her family. “May my whole family be happy, may my children, grandchildren and four great-granddaughters find the path they want to find. I am old and I have already made my life, I have everything and I don‘t need anything,” she said. “What can I ask for myself. I just want the happiness of my family. It is better to be surrounded by happiness, it is contagious.”