Queen Sofia received a standing ovation as she arrived for a concert at one of Spain’s most famous Roman sites.
Sofia arrived to prolonged cheers at the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre in Merida where she was guest of honour for the start of the annual Festival of Classical Theatre.
Her attendance at the concert, given by the Symphony Orchestra from the Queen Sofia School of Music, gave royal backing to an event which is being seen as a staging post in a return to normality in the fields of art and tourism following the coronavirus pandemic.
The concert came at the end of a busy week of royal duties for Sofia who has had a relatively low profile over the past year. The 82 year old has had to take precautions against the pandemic, like tens of thousands of older people around Spain. However, her diary is now changing with three events in a handful of days.
On June 21st, Sofia took part in a video conference from her home at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid to mark World ALS Day. On June 22nd, she attended events marking the closure of the academic year at the Queen Sofia School of Music. Her appearance in Merida, on June 25th, completed her busiest period in months.
Prior to the upsurge in her royal diary, Sofia had spent some time in Greece with her brother, Constantine, and sister, Irene.