She was the surprise final act of the Spanish royal family’s two weeks in Paris, and the most beloved. Queen Sofía of Spain has demonstrated once again that she still has the “it” factor as athletes and staff alike displayed nothing but smiles as King Felipe’s mother congratulated them for their achievements at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
And to think that she had all the cards stacked against her: not only was she not born in Spain, she wasn’t Catholic either, in a Spain that is still considered to be one of the most Catholic places in the world.
Another issue was that she came to be consort as a consequence of fascist dictator, Francisco Franco’s last decision: to restore the monarchy in Spain but to skip the man most thought of as the rightful king, Juan, Count of Barcelona, and hand the reins of power directly to Juan’s son, Juan Carlos.
(Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau -SA 3.0 NL, Wiki Commons)
However, King Juan Carlos quickly moved to establish a constitution alongside a new generation of politicians and worked closely with them to establish democracy and rebuild a shattered economy. Queen Sofia was at his side throughout, a vital part of a monarchy that aimed to change a country.
( CC BY 2.0, Wiki Commons)
In time, Sofía (as she now spelled her name, hispanicized from the Greek spelling of Sophia) managed to conquer the love of her new people, as she showed time and again that she felt Spanish “100%”, as she once stated in an interview.
During her husband’s reign, her strong work ethic and her clear commitment to the education of her children to their roles (especially her son Felipe) earned her the trust and admiration of Spaniards.
(Casa de S. M. el Rey)
And, while her romance with King Juan Carlos slowly faded away, as the monarch became engulfed in more and more scandals, Queen Sofía was able to retain her charm, especially as it became clear that she was willing to stand by the Spanish constitution and that, for the most part, she was not involved in any of the controversies that clouded the final years of her husband’s historic reign.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
She then managed to cement her reputation in the minds and hearts of Spaniards as she stood by her son Felipe as he transitioned from being Prince of Asturias to king, inheriting an institution that was very frail, especially in public opinion.
All of this while she also managed the increasing demands from her native family, with both her siblings suffering from increasingly poor health, which led her to make frequent trips to her native Greece, where her brother, King Constantine, had installed himself as soon as he was allowed back into the country.
(photo: Holger Motzkau via Wiki Commons)
After ten years of King Felipe being on the throne and consolidating the monarchy’s image, and given her advancing age (she was born on the 2nd of November 1938, making her close to celebrating her 86th birthday), Queen Sofía has slowly decreased her official engagements for the Spanish royal family.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
An element which has only contributed to the surprise and excitement that people have displayed as she graced the stands of various sporting events at the Paris Olympic Games. For hers really was the warmest welcome from athletes, some of whom couldn’t quite believe that Queen Sofia had come to see them. And the woman who has been instrumental in the establishment and consolidation of Spain’s monarchy looked equally thrilled to be with them.
Despite the many changes she has seen, Queen Sofia remains Spain’s star royal.
