The 1 Royal With Better Bling Than Kate Middleton — Seriously!

In 10 years, the woman who was christened Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano went from news anchor to queen of Spain, and just one of the ways in which her life has changed can be charted by the contents of her jewelry box.

As she inched into royal life on the arm of her boyfriend and then fiancé, Prince Felipe VI, she gradually flashed some of her new baubles, along with some subtle pieces borrowed from her mother-in-law, Queen Sofía. As soon as she became princess of Asturias on her wedding day, it was all about the tiaras, suites of vintage jewels, and lavish designer gifts. However, since her husband became king in June 2014, the newly minted Queen Letizia has moved forward with increasingly quirky and colorful pieces that include elements like brass mesh and semiprecious insects. Here we take a look at some of her most important, impressive, and interesting items.

Engagement Ring
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Engagement Ring

Sixteen baguette diamonds and a whole lot of trouble. Before Prince Felipe and Letizia got engaged in 2003, it was his brother-in-law Inaki Urdangarín who picked up the ring. The subterfuge was in order to keep the impending proposal under wraps, but Inaki used his company credit card to collect it, and since then he has come under investigation for corruption. Letizia has not worn the ring since.

Diamonds and Rubies
Getty | SVEN NACKSTRAND

Diamonds and Rubies

For Prince Frederik of Denmark's wedding in 2004 — just weeks before her own big day — Letizia borrowed diamond and ruby clips and matching earrings from her future mother-in-law, Queen Sofía.

Pearls and Sapphires
Getty | Getty Images

Pearls and Sapphires

At a gala dinner the night before her own wedding, Letizia wore an engagement present from her fiancé. The pearl and sapphire jewelry had once belonged to the countess of Barcelona, Prince Felipe's grandmother.

The Prussian Tiara and Wedding Earrings
Getty | CHRISTOPHE SIMON

The Prussian Tiara and Wedding Earrings

The new princess of Asturias first wore a tiara on her wedding day. The early 20th century piece was designed by German jeweler Koch for Princess Victoria, the only daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II. However, it is very much Grecian in design, with its Greek keys topped with columns and a laurel wreath. The tiara was passed down from mother to daughter, until it reached Queen Sofía, who has lent it to Letizia on numerous occasions.

Letizia's diamond and platinum earrings were a wedding gift from her new in-laws, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía.

Diamond Suite
Getty | Lalo Yasky

Diamond Suite

At a state banquet for the president of Hungary in January 2005, the princess wore her new favorite tiara, along with her own set of diamonds, that are thought to have been a wedding present from a Middle Eastern royal family.

The Floral Tiara and Queen Sofía's Emeralds
Getty | Lalo Yasky

The Floral Tiara and Queen Sofía's Emeralds

Made by British jeweler JP Collins in 1879, the tiara has been in and out of the Spanish royal family over the years. Queen Sofía has lent it to her daughter-in-law many times, and it remains one of her favorites.

The emeralds were also borrowed from the queen — they had been an anniversary gift from King Juan Carlos.

Queen Sofía's Rubies
Getty | Lalo Yasky

Queen Sofía's Rubies

The princess had already borrowed the diamond and ruby earrings from Queen Sofía for the Danish royal wedding, but at a state banquet for the president of Slovakia in 2007, she paired them with the matching necklace. The set had belonged to the countess of Barcelona.

The Mellerio Shell Tiara
Getty | Lalo Yasky

The Mellerio Shell Tiara

At a state banquet in December 2007, then-Princess Letizia wore the exquisite 1867 headpiece, which was designed by French jewelry house Mellerio. The tiara features swinging pear-shaped pearls and diamonds that tilt with the movement of the wearer.

The diamond and Australian pearl earrings are Letizia's own.

More Diamonds . . . and a Personal Touch
Getty | Carlos Alvarez

More Diamonds . . . and a Personal Touch

At King Juan Carlos's 70th birthday celebrations in 2008, the princess teamed her impressive diamond Cartier bracelet with diamond and pearl cross earrings by jeweler Tous.

The gold bracelet on her right wrist was a present from Queen Sofía to mark the births of Letizia's daughters — one spells out Leonor and the other spells out Sofía. It's been reported that Letizia expanded the charms to include the name of her niece, Carla.

Dripping in Diamonds
Getty | Carlos Alvarez

Dripping in Diamonds

For a state visit in 2009, Princess Letizia wore her diamond Cartier bracelet and borrowed Prussian tiara with a few new pieces, including these impressive diamond chandelier earrings.

The Bulgari Parentesi ring is thought to have been a gift from the Italian jewelry house to commemorate the birth of her daughter Infanta Sofía.

The diamond fleur-de-lis brooch is the centrepiece of a tiara that had been rumored to be in Princess Letizia's possession but had never been seen in public. More on that to come . . .

Contemporary Pearl Necklace
Getty | Fotonoticias

Contemporary Pearl Necklace

The chunky rope of intertwined black and white pearls was debuted at a state dinner in 2012.

Aquamarine Bulgari Earrings
Getty | Carlos R. Alvarez

Aquamarine Bulgari Earrings

The jewels are thought to have been a gift from the jewelry house when Princess Leonor was born.

Chanel Stars and a Children's Accessory
Getty | Europa Press

Chanel Stars and a Children's Accessory

The princess attracted plenty of comment when she teamed her favorite diamond star Chanel Comete earrings with a headband from Spanish kids' store Nanos in April 2014.

A Kaleidoscope of Color
Getty | Handout

A Kaleidoscope of Color

The queen has gone through a jewelry transformation since her change of title, opting for quirkier and more colorful pieces. For a conference in Rome in November 2014, she chose multicolored semiprecious stones. The earrings by Tous are made up of chrysoprase, emerald, green tourmaline, opal, pink quartz, ruby, and turquoise.

Jade Butterflies
Getty | Juan Naharro Gimenez

Jade Butterflies

At the Spanish sports awards in December 2014, Queen Letizia opted for jade butterfly earrings by Spanish jeweler Harmony Design.

Black de Grisogono Diamonds
Getty | Carlos Alvarez

Black de Grisogono Diamonds

In March 2015, the queen chose the black diamond teardrops, which she has owned since 2006.

Fleur-de-Lis Tiara
Getty | Julian Parker/Mark Cuthbert

Fleur-de-Lis Tiara

It was the piece that had been spoken about for years, and the queen chose to show it off for the first time at the 75th birthday celebrations of Queen Margrethe of Denmark. The tiara was designed by Ansorena and contains 450 diamonds and 10 whopping Australian pearls and was Queen Letizia's fifth anniversary present from her husband.

Brass Flourishes
Getty | Fotonoticias

Brass Flourishes

At the Literature Awards in 2015, the queen chose this unusual set of earrings and bracelet by Paz Sintes.

Emerald and Ruby Tous Earrings
Getty | Carlos Alvarez

Emerald and Ruby Tous Earrings

The queen matched her lipstick to her gemstones while in Madrid earlier this year.

Black Diamonds by Tous
Getty | Carlos Alvarez

Black Diamonds by Tous

The queen turned to her favorite jewelry designer for these showstoppers for an event in Madrid earlier this year.