Queen Letizia is about to become your new favorite royal

By EMILY CEGIELSKI

When King Juan Carlos of Spain announced his surprise decision to abdicate the throne on Monday in favor of his son Crown Prince Felipe, most of the world began to speculate on the actual changes that this could bring to Spain. Although the monarchy is mainly symbolic, the transfer of power is expected to bring constitutional change that would allow Felipe's daughter Leonore to succeed him. According to the Associated Press, many are predicting this could snowball into further revisions of the constitution.

Of course, the immediate effect of any constitutional amendments would initially be felt in Spain. Any global repercussions would be slow; however, one point of interest has emerged from this story that has taken the world by storm -- and her name is Princess Letizia.

Now that she has the world's attention, the 46-year-old wife of Felipe, who will be known as Queen Letizia, is about to give Kate Middleton a run for her money. According to People, when she married the prince 10 years ago, she immediately became beloved by Spanish magazines for her 'dresses, hair, shoes and weight.'

But her style quickly transcended oceans. She made Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List last year and according to VF, has a preference for designers such as Hugo Boss, Max Mara and Felipe Varela. E! reports that the princess also knows a thing or two about high street fashion, supplementing her designer duds with everyday pieces from Zara and Mango -- just like the Duchess of Cambridge.

While many outlets have focused on Princess Letizia's style, and it's impossible not to compare her to Kate, it should be said that the future queen is not just a pretty face. She's a 'commoner' and 'divorcée' whose marriage to Prince Felipe was not without controversy. She was also a well-known journalist before marrying into Spain's royal family, working for CNN and the Spanish equivalent of Bloomberg and winning an award for the 'Best Spanish Journalist Under 30.'

According to People, she supports numerous charities, takes her kids to school each day and wants to stay in her current home after the coronation. These are incredible traits, but not nearly as fun to judge. Click through our gallery of Letizia's style at the top of this post and our gallery of Kate's at the bottom. Then, let us know who's style you prefer!

Kate tours Australia in style: