Queen Letizia, who on Wednesday night surprised by remaining seated while greeting the more than two hundred guests at the gala dinner that William and Maxima of the Netherlands offered to the Kings, has been suffering from her feet for several years. In 2023 she was diagnosed with a Morton's neuroma in her left foot, adding this condition to the chronic metatarsalgia that she has suffered from for years. The ailment is caused by the continued use of high heels and narrow-size shoes and its solution, if the problem worsens, involves surgical intervention.
This Thursday, the Queen appeared again wearing medium-heeled shoes when, accompanied by Queen Máxima, she visited Lab6, a community center that serves adolescents and young people with mental health problems. Letizia has worn pink Magrit shoes, matching her dress (orange) and Carolina Herrera coat and Olivia Mareque bag. Subsequently, also with Máxima, he attended the closing of the , Javier Fesser. Both in the social center and in the theater, the Queen has remained seated almost the entire time, although she walked normally.
Letizia has worn high-heeled shoes, the highest ones known as stilettos, for a long time, but in recent months she has significantly lowered the height of the heels, opting for models that do not exceed five centimeters. On many occasions, especially with pants and more informal outfits, she has opted for flat moccasins or ballet flats.
Greeting guests at the many receptions he attends throughout the year, when he has to stand still for a long time, it is the time when he suffers the most discomfort. At the reception on October 12 at the Royal Palace in Madrid, with more than a thousand guests, the greeting can last an hour or more. In recent years, the ceremony has been interrupted with minutes of rest so that the Queen could recover and it has even been possible to see how she changed her shoes.
This Wednesday, in Amsterdam, the Queen made the decision not to hide her illness and to naturally show the problem she suffers from. Although the gala dinner for a state visit is the most solemn ceremony she attends, she chose to remain seated, even though she was aware of the image she was going to project to normalize the situation.
Morton's neuroma, according to medical sources, is a foot disease that affects one or more of the nerves located between the toes. It is a benign, non-cancerous tumor of a nerve. It usually occurs between the third and fourth metatarsals, although it can occur between other toes. It is a common and very painful foot condition whose sensation is similar to constantly walking on a small stone.
In Morton's neuroma, fibrous tissue develops around the nerve, which becomes irritated and compressed. This causes severe pain in the sole of the foot and the base of the toes. This pain may simply be a mild tingling or a severe burning that prevents you from living a normal life. The ailment can affect all types of patients. However, it is more common in women between 30 and 60 years old who normally wear very high-heeled shoes. Compression of the nerve can trigger inflammation and cause abnormal tissue to form inside and around the nerve that produces this pain, although the symptoms, with pharmacological treatment, as well as orthopedic treatment with the use of insoles or pads, can be attenuated and appear occasionally.
If it is necessary to undergo surgery, the operation can remove the diseased part of the nerve or release the tissue surrounding the nerve. The recovery time is relatively short and you can return to a normal life quickly. To play sports or other heavier activities it will take more than two weeks. And, if there are no complications, the foot will be healed in a month.
