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Spain

Queen Sofia ends busy week with visit to ancient ruins

Queen Sofia of Spain is cheered on her arrival at Merida

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.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.