Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a news presenter on Spanish state television station TVE, was born on September 15, 1972 in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo (Asturias).

She is the eldest daughter of Jesús Ortiz Álvarez and Paloma Rocasolano. Her father founded the tv-channel Antena 3. Letizia's mother is a nurse and union official who works in a clinic in Moratalaz, Madrid. Letizia's paternal grandmother was a well known radio broadcaster in Asturia for over 40 years. Letizia has two sisters: Telma and Erika.

From her 8th year she went to school at the public Colegio La Gesta I in Oviedo, which she left in 1986. She loved literature, music and ballet. Then she studied at the Instituto Alfonso II and later at the Centre Ramiro de Maeztu in Madrid. After earning a degree in information sciences at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. After receiving a Master's degree in audiovisual journalism she pursued postgraduate studies in Mexico City, where she also worked for the newspaper Siglo XXI.

Letizia started her career at the Asturian daily La Nueva España, ABC and the international editing desk of Agencia EFE, Spain's news agency. Later, she joined the United States' Bloomberg financial TV network, which in Spain is under the supervision of Agencia EFE Television. Following a stint as newscaster, editor and reporter for CNN Plus, in 2000 she joined Televisión Española (TVE), where she has edited news and anchored newscasts, in addition to hosting specials and reporting major news, such as the 2000 election in the USA, the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the situation in Iraq in 2003, as special on-site correspondent. In 2001, she shared the Larra Award, awarded by the Madrid Press Association to upcoming journalists, with another young reporter. The year she joined TVE, she won the best journalist under 30 prize from the Spanish Press Association. "Being a reporter is in her blood," says a workmate. Her last appearance on TVE was on October 31, one day before the announcement of her engagement to the Prince of Asturias.