Marta Carazo, TVE journalist, appointed as the new head of the Queen’s Office.

The Queen has officially made a decision that will significantly affect her daily life. The wife of Felipe VI has chosen Marta Carazo, who until this Friday was the presenter of the second edition of the TVE news, as the head of her Secretariat following the departure of the State Lawyer María Ocaña on June 2, after serving in that position for a year due to “unexpected personal reasons.” Carazo confirmed her departure from RTVE yesterday afternoon to pursue new projects, which will start after the summer holidays. Therefore, on September 1, another journalist will arrive at La Zarzuela, 20 years after Doña Letizia’s arrival.

After a stint as a correspondent in Brussels and a quarter of a century at public television, Carazo (53 years old, Madrid) took over the nighttime news on La 1 in January 2024. She then replaced Carlos Franganillo, who joined Telecinco, where he became her competitor in the same news time slot. RTVE sources explained yesterday that Carazo informed them a few days ago of her decision to leave the corporation after the summer break, without providing details about her future career path, reports Quino Petit.

Interestingly, during her time covering the EU capital (2020-2023), Carazo worked alongside the current head of the Royal House, Camilo Villarino, who was then in charge of Josep Borrell’s office, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Additionally, the presenter until Friday was responsible for covering La Zarzuela between 2009 and 2012 and had previously worked with Queen Letizia when she was a journalist at RTVE, before marrying the then Prince of Asturias.

The previous secretary, María Ocaña, state lawyer, announced her unilateral resignation a month ago, just over a year after taking office due to “unexpected personal reasons.” Close sources indicate that her last act as the right-hand of Queen Letizia will be on August 3. Shortly after, coinciding with the end of the Palma sailing Cup, the Kings and their daughters will go on vacation. Thus, Carazo is expected to take over the Secretariat in September, continuing the line initiated a year and a half ago by La Zarzuela to propose civilian women for key positions in the institution. However, the appointment will only be official once it is published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE).

The challenge that Carazo now faces is enormous, not only because of the content but also due to the intensity of the Queen’s agenda. She will lead the department responsible for studying, preparing, and executing any matters related to Felipe VI’s wife. The Spanish Royal House is one of the smallest in Europe, consisting of only six members (the former kings, Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía), and most events, commemorations, and other functions are exclusively managed by the Kings.