It was supposed to be yet another visit from a head of state for the royal family of Spain. 
But when the head of state’s wife is former supermodel Carla Bruni, the visit is anything but ordinary.
Nicolas Sarkozy brought his ever dazzling wife along for a visit to Spain Monday. He is there to promote his country and strengthen ties with the kingdom.
Carla, meanwhile, is there, so to speak, to make fashionistas and the press go wild with her elegant style.
However, it was the Spanish royals – particularly Crown Princess Letizia – who made the press and fashionistas go crazy.
This happened when Ms. Bruni met the Monarchs and the Crown Princely couple, Felipe and Letizia, at Zarzuela Palace for lunch. It was Crown Princess Letizia Bruni was up against in terms of style. Bruni wore a simple dark blue dress, while the Crown Princess wore a berry colored dress that had a ripple effect.
When Letizia and Carla walked up the stairs of the palace, their shapely derrieres were photographed – leaving quite a few men drooling.
Even more so, the berry colored dress the Crown Princess wore has caught the attention of the English speaking media. Headlines everywhere say Letizia upstaged the French First Lady.
Even if she did, the warm reception between Carla and Letizia was evident during that fateful meeting.
Bruni seems to get along very well with the Spanish royals. So much so, that when she met Queen Sofia, she kissed the Queen’s two cheeks instead of doing the traditional curtsy.
A spokesman for the royal palace explained that a curtsy before a Spanish monarch “is not an absolute obligation, but a habit adopted by some people.”
But President Sarkozy’s visit to Spain is not simply to show off his beautiful wife.
He is there to meet with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to discuss the ETA Basque separatist group especially since its leaders were arrested in France last year.
The two countries will also sign an accord on strengthening their joint efforts against organized crime and drug trafficking.
Paris will also voice its support for Spain’s presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2010.
The visit comes “at a sweet moment in French-Spanish cooperation,” El Mundo said.
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