Queen Sofía of Spain
Sophia of Greece and Denmark | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Queen Consort of Spain | |||||
Tenure | 22 November 1975 – present | ||||
Born | Psychiko, Athens, Greece | 2 November 1938||||
Spouse | Juan Carlos I of Spain | ||||
Issue | Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca Felipe, Prince of Asturias | ||||
| |||||
House | House of Bourbon House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg | ||||
Father | Paul of Greece | ||||
Mother | Frederika of Hanover | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholic prev. Greek Orthodox | ||||
Signature |
Queen Sofía of Spain (Spanish pronunciation: [soˈfi.a], née: Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark; Spanish: Sofía de Grecia y Dinamarca; [Βασίλισσα Σοφία της Ισπανίας, Vasílissa Sofía tis Ispanías] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); born 2 November 1938) is the current queen consort and wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.[1][2]
Early life and family
Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece (1901–1964) and his wife, Queen Frederika (1917–1981), a former princess of Hanover. Queen Sofia is a member of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty. Her brother is the deposed King Constantine II of Greece and her sister Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. However, since the abolition of the Greek monarchy, the royal titles are recognized by the Dutch Monarchy and the Danish Royal Family.
Princess Sophia spent some of her childhood in Egypt where she took her early education in El Nasr Girls' College (EGC) in Alexandria, then went to South Africa during her family's exile from Greece during World War II. They returned to Greece in 1946. She finished her education at the prestigious Schloss Salem boarding school in Southern Germany, and then studied childcare, music and archeology in Athens. Sofia also studied at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. She represented Greece in the 1960s Summer Olympics sailing events .[citation needed].
Marriage and family
On 14 May 1962 Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark married Infante Juan Carlos of Spain, whom she met on a cruise of the Greek Islands in 1954, in Athens at the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Dennis. In doing so, she relinquished her rights to the throne of Greece and converted to Roman Catholicism from Greek Orthodoxy, an act of convenience in order to become more palatable to Catholic Spain. Further, the Latin transliteration of her Greek name (Σοφία), was changed from Sophia to the Spanish variant Sofía, which nonetheless is pronounced identically to the original Greek version.
In 1969, Prince Juan Carlos, who was never Prince of Asturias, the traditional title of the heir to the throne, was given the official title of Prince of Spain by the Spanish state; this was a title suggested by Sofia herself. Juan Carlos acceded to the throne as Juan Carlos I in 1975.
The couple have three children: HRH Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo born 20 December 1963, HRH Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca born 13 June 1965, and HRH Felipe, Prince of Asturias born 30 January 1968. The King and Queen have eight grandchildren, four boys and four girls: Felipe and Victoria from the Infanta Elena; Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene from the Infanta Cristina; and Infanta Leonor, and Infanta Sofía, named in her honor, of Prince Felipe; all of whom are in the line of succession to the Spanish Throne.
Ancestry
Queen Sofía is both a great-great-granddaughter (paternally) and a great-great-great-granddaughter (maternally) of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and is, through several lines, her husband's third cousin. She is a first cousin of Ernst August of Hanover, and through her great-grandfather George I of Greece, she is a second cousin to Charles, Prince of Wales. Through Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria, she is also related to Elizabeth II and thereby related to all the royal families of Europe. She is also a first cousin once removed of Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Queen Sofia is of Hohenzollern descent through her mother, Frederica of Hanover, and through her paternal grandmother, Sophia of Prussia, and of Romanov descent through her father's paternal grandmother, Olga Constantinovna of Russia.
Royal duties
Spanish royal family |
---|
Extended royal family
Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz:
The Duchess of Soria and Hernani
|
Besides travelling with her husband within Spain and abroad, the Queen has her own agenda. She is the executive president of the Queen Sofía Foundation, which in 1993 sent funds for relief in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the honorary president of the Royal Board on Education and Care of Handicapped Persons and the Foundation for Aid for Drug Addicts. She takes special interest in programs against drug addiction, travelling to conferences in both Spain and abroad. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is named after her, as is Reina Sofía Airport in Tenerife. Queen Sofia is often seen representing the Spanish Royal Family at weddings of other European royal families, most recently at the wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling in 2010 and the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, since her husband the King has expressed his wish not to attend weddings and other such royal functions. As a keen supporter of sports of all kind, the Queen also attended the final match of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles where she watched Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal win for a second time, as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup where the team from Spain was crowned as world champion.
She has been working closely with Dr. Muhammed Yunus on his Grameen Bank (or "Village Bank"), which offers microcredits to women across the world. Sofía has travelled to Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico to support the activities of the organization led by Yunus.
Queen Sofia of Spain has also been a strong supporter of Somaly Mam's efforts and that of the NGO she founded—Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire (AFESIP)—in combating child prostitution and slavery in Cambodia. In 1998, Somaly Mam was awarded the prestigious Prince of Asturias Awards for International Cooperation in the presence of Queen Sofia.
The Queen is an Honorary Member of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and of the Royal Academy of History. She has received Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Rosario (Bogotá), Valladolid, Cambridge, Oxford, Georgetown, Evora, St. Mary's University, Texas, and New York.
Personal Life
In addition to Greek and Spanish, she also speaks French, English and German.
Abolition of the monarchy in Greece
Queen Sofia was in Greece on a private visit to her brother King Constantine when the Greek military coup took place in 1967. Since then her brother King Constantine II has been stripped of his title, citizenship and property in Greece. Except for a few hours for her mother Queen Frederica's funeral in 1981; Queen Sofia has not visited Greece after the coup until 1998; in which she and her husband Juan Carlos I of Spain paid an official visit after 17 years as guests of the Greek president Constantinos Stephanopoulos.
Fashion
Her Majesty is considered as one of the most fashionable royals in Europe and there's always great interest in her clothing at royal gatherings. After converting to Roman Catholicsm in 1962, Queen Sophia gained the privilege of appearing in white before the pope, as opposed to black which non-Catholic official visitors have to wear in the presence of the pope according to the Vatican etiquette.
Opinions
Greek royal family |
---|
|
An interview for the occasion of the Queen's 70th birthday with Opus Dei journalist Pilar Urbano revealed some details of the Queen's conservative ideals on politically debated issues and the lifestyle of the Queen. Strong controversy arose from comments against the same-sex marriage law recently approved by the Spanish Parliament, and also against Gay Pride demonstrations. "I can understand, accept and respect that there are people of other sexual tendencies, but why should they be proud to be gay?” she asked. "Should they ride on a parade float and come out in protests? If all of us who are not gay were to parade in the streets, we’d halt the traffic in every city.” On the subject of gay marriage, legal since 2005 in Spain, she offered these thoughts: "If those people want to live together, dress up like bride and groom and marry, they could have a right to do so, or not, depending on the law of their country, but they should not call this matrimony, because it isn't”. These opinions forced the Spanish Monarchy to be the center of the claim for a new Spanish Republic during 2009 Gay Pride Parade in Madrid, in which participation of left party Izquierda Unida included showing more than 100 republican flags.
She also critizised the military intervention in Afghanistan, where Spanish troops were taking part at the moment, her defence of religious education in schools, and her conviction that gender violence publicity will encourage new cases to happen.[3] Her opinions were the object of lively criticism from LGTB associations and from Spanish intellectuals.[4] Also responding were Spanish republican political parties like IU and ERC. Government party decided to keep silence, while conservative party PP decided to do so, after a first criticism of the Queen's political intervention from its representative.[5]
Also controversial were her publicly exposing private conversations between King Juan Carlos of Spain and King Hassan II of Morocco, and her revealing King Juan Carlos's autocratic references to Spanish regions as "my lands" (mis tierras).
She mentioned her relationship with her daughter-in-law Letizia Ortiz, a former divorcée, saying that Letizia has brought her closer to the people, and that she and Letizia spend time together and visit restaurants and shops. On the election of Barack Obama, she said how surprised she was that for the first time in the United States, a black candidate might be elected as president, and said she does not tolerate racism. She also mentioned that the King would never abdicate, and that she is against abortion and euthanasia. After the uproar, a press release was issued mentioning that the Queen considered her words were expressed in private conversations and were 'inaccurate'. Pilar Urbano defended herself saying that the book had been sent to the Palace for approval and that everything in the book is documented.
Some members of the Spanish royal family, including the King's sister, the Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (who declared her total agreement with Sofia), supported the Queen's opinions.
She has never condemned any dictatorship including Franco's Spain and the Greek military regime from whom she did enjoyed personal benefits.
Royal styles of Sofía, Queen of Spain | |
---|---|
Reference style | Her Majesty |
Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Alternative style | Ma'am |
Titles, honours and arms
See also List of honours of the Spanish Royal Family by country
Titles
Here is a list of titles Queen Sofía held from birth in chronological order :
- Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark (1938–1962)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias (1962–1969)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Spain (1969–1975)
- Her Majesty The Queen of Spain (1975–present)
Spanish honours
- Dame Grand Collar of The Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles III.
- Dame of the Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa (1,193rd lady on 14 May 1962).
Foreign honours
- Argentina : Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin[6]
- Belgium : Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold[7][8]
- Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross (1991)[9]
- Chile : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Chile) (2011)[10]
- Colombia : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (Colombian military decorations) [11][12]
- Denmark : Knight of the Order of the Elephant
- Ecuador : Grand Cross of the National Order of San Lorenzo [13]
- Egypt : Supreme Class of the Order of the Virtues[14]
- Estonia : 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana[15]
- Ethiopia Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Queen of Sheba
- Finland : Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland[16]
- France : Grand Cross of the National Order of the Légion d'honneur[17]
- Germany Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany][18]
- Greece : Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer[19]
- Guatemala : Grand Cross of the Order of the Quetzal[20]
- Hungary : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Civilian Class[21][22]
- Iceland Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
- Italy : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (27/06/1996)[23]
- Japan : Grand Cordon (or 1st Class) of the Order of the Precious Crown[24][25]
- Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan (1985)[26]
- Jordan: Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (1999)[27]
- Latvia: Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars (16.10.2004)[28][29]
- Lebanon: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) (2009)[30]
- Lithuania: Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great[31]
- Luxembourg : Lady of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau[32][33]
- Mexico : Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle[34]
- Morocco : Special Class of the Order of the Mohammediya
- Nepal : Knight of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
- Netherlands Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion[35]
- Nigeria : Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (1991, GCON)[36]
- Norway : Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav[37]
- Panama : Grand Cross of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa[38]
- Persia : Order of the Pleiades (Iran) or (Order of Haft Peikar)[39]
- Philippines : Grand Collar (Maringal na Kuwintas) of the Order of the Golden Heart[40]
- Poland : Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 2001)
- Portugal : Dame Grand Cross decorated with Grand Cordon of the Order of St. James of the Sword
- Portugal : Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Portugal : Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry
- Romania : Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (2003)[41][42][43]
- Slovakia Grand Cross (or 1st Class) of the Order of the White Double Cross (2007)[44][45]
- South Africa : Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope (1999) [46]
- Sweden : Member of the Order of the Seraphim[47]
- Thailand : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri
- Thailand Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao [48]
- Vatican City Collar Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
- Zaire, now Democratic Republic of the Congo : Grand Cordon of the National Order of the Leopard [49]
Dynastic orders
- Greece : Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olga and St. Sophia[50]
- Two Sicilies : Dame Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Arms
The personal coat of arms of the Queen impales the Spanish Royal Arms (her husband's shield) to the dexter (viewer's left) with her father’s shield, the arms of King Paul of Greece – Azure a cross argent; inescutcheon, the coat of arms of Denmark as used when George I became king of Greece and showing the dynastic link to the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty; a shield containing a cross argent fimbriated gules from the Danish flag and subcoats representing Denmark, Schleswig, the former Kalmar Union, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Holstein, Stormarn, Dithmarschen, Lauenburg, Oldenburg, Delmenhorst, and the former Danish royal titles of King of the Wends and Goths.
All surmounted by the Spanish Royal Crown (Crown's arches differenced as consort) and surrounded by the Collar of the Order of Charles III.[51][52]
The Queen's coat of arms has no official status. In Spain only the coats of arms of the King and the Prince of Asturias are official.
References
- ^ Royal house of Bourbon, Unknown publisher, unknown date (accessed 19 January 2007)
- ^ Her majesty the Queen www.sispain.org unknown date (accessed 19 January 2007)
- ^ "No nos queman a nosotros. Son trozos de papel. Ya se apagarán". Confesiones polémicas de la reina Sofía en un libro al cumplir 70 años en www. elpais.com
- ^ Malestar en el colectivo homosexual por las palabras de la Reina en www.elpais.com
- ^ PP y PSOE ordenan guardar silencio sobre las declaraciones de la Reina en www.elpais.com
- ^ Noblesse et Royautes, State visit of Argentina in Spain, February 2009
- ^ State visit in Belgium in 2000 - Belga Pictures, Group photo, King & Queen
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Belgium in Spain, 1994, Cristina & Queen Sofia, Queen Sofia
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Brazil in Spain, Mayo 1991, Group photo
- ^ "Noblesse et Royautés" (French), State visit of Chile in Spain, March 2011
- ^ State visit of Colombia in Spain, Group Photo
- ^ Photo 1, 2
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Ecuador in Spain (April 1989), Photos of Sofia : Couple, with Elena & Cristina
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Egypt in Spain, Queen Sofia & Cristina
- ^ "Noblesse et Royautes" (French), State visit of Spain in Estonia, May 2009
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Finland in Spain, 1999, Sofia & Juna Carlos
- ^ Photo taken during Sarkozy's visit in Madrid, in April 2009 (article on Noblesse et Royautés).
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Germany in Spain,1989, Sofia
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Stephanopoulos in Spain, 2005, Group Photo
- ^ "At the Spanish Court" blog, State dinner in the Royal Palace, Queen Sofia, Elena & Cristina (1st State dinner for Cristina).
- ^ Queen Sofia wearing the order. Rem : Infanta Elena has no hungarian order
- ^ Getty Images, State Visit of Hungarian President, January 2005, Group photo, Sofia & Letizia
- ^ Italian Presidency, S.M. Sofia Regina di Spagna - Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
- ^ Forum Principes de Asturias, State visit of Japan in Spain, 1994, Group photo
- ^ "Noblesse et Royautés" (French), State visit of Spain in Japan, November 2008
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Jordan in Spain, 1985, Group Photo
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Jordan in Spain, Sofia & Rania
- ^ Latvian Presidency, Recipients list (.doc)
- ^ Getty Images, State Visit of Latvian President, October 2004, Group photo
- ^ http://www.noblesseetroyautes.com/nr01/2009/10/diner-de-gala-au-palais-royal-de-madrid-en-lhonneur-du-president-libanais/ "Noblesse et Royautés"] (French), State visit of Lebanon in Spain, October 2009
- ^ Lithuanian Presidency, Lithuanian Orders searching form
- ^ Getty Images Picture
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Luxembourg in Spain, 2001, Group Photo
- ^ State Visit of Mexican Presidente, June 2008, Group photo. Queen Sofia and Prince Felipe would be entitiled to receive the "Sash in Special Category", as the reform of 2011 changed the award conditions.
- ^ Viva Maxima Blog, State visit of Beatrix in Spain in 1985, Group Photo, & State visit in Netherlands 2001, Group photo
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Nigeria in Spain, 1991, Group photo
- ^ See the 4th photo in this serie
- ^ "Noblesse et Royautés", State visit of Panama in Spain, November 2008
- ^ Foro Dinastias, Sofia (Page) & Sofia (Page) - Decoration of of the Order
- ^ Getty Images, State visit of Philippines President in Spain, December 2007, Group Photo. Zooming on the collar shows green cross of the golden Heart
- ^ Romanian Presidency, Star of Romania recipients list (.xls)
- ^ Getty Images, State visit of Romanian President in Spain, November 2007, Group Photo
- ^ Queen Sofia wearing the order
- ^ Slovak republic website, State honours : 1st Class received in 2007 (click on "Holders of the Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross" to see the holders' table)
- ^ See the 5th photo in this serie
- ^ 1999 National Orders awards
- ^ Noblesse et Royautés (French), Princess Victoria's wedding, June 2010, Photo of Sofia & Elena
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit in Thailand, Group Photo, Sofia : 1, 2
- ^ Foro Dinastias, State visit of Zaïre in Spain, Royal Couple with President Mobutu Sese Seko
- ^ Sofia wearing the order
- ^ Template:Es icon The Arms of the Queen of Spain. Blog de Heráldica - 2 November 2008. (accessed 29 June 2009)
- ^ Template:Es icon The Arms of the Queen of Spain (Collar changed). Blog de Heráldica - 2 November 2008. (accessed 29 June 2009)
External links
- Official website of the Spanish Royal Family
- Official website of the Queen Sofia Foundation
- Royal House of Greece
- Royal House of Spain
- Queen Sofia Family Tree
- Use dmy dates from September 2010
- 1938 births
- Living people
- People from Psychiko
- Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy
- Danish princesses
- Greek princesses
- Spanish Roman Catholics
- Pescetarians
- House of Glücksburg (Greece)
- House of Bourbon (Spain)
- Spanish royal consorts
- Spanish infantas
- Queens consort
- Fellows of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
- Spanish people of Greek descent
- Spanish people of Russian descent
- Spanish people of German descent
- Grand Collars of the Order of the Golden Heart
- Grand Crosses with Collar of the Order of Charles III
- Knights and Dames of the Collar of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
- Grand Commanders of the Order of the Niger
- Grand Cordons of the National Order of the Leopard
- Grand Cordons of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- Grand Cordons of the Order of Merit (Lebanon)
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Star of Jordan
- Dames Grand Cross of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
- Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Southern Cross
- Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur
- Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Grand Crosses of the National Order of San Lorenzo
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Good Hope
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit (Chile)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Quetzal
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Redeemer
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint James of the Sword
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the White Double Cross
- Supreme Classes of the Order of the Virtues
- Dames of the Order of Queen Maria Luisa
- Dames of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri
- Bands of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
- Knights of the Elephant
- Knights of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
- Members of the Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
- Order of the Pleiades (Iran)
- Order of Saints Olga and Sophia
- Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class
- Recipients of the Order of the Queen of Sheba
- Recipients of the Order of the Seraphim
- Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars, 1st Class with Chain
- Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)
- Recipients of the Order of the Mohammedi