Infanta Sofía of Spain

Not to be confused with Queen Sofía of Spain.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is de Borbón and the second or maternal family name is Ortiz.

Infanta Sofía
Infanta Sofía at the 2019 Order of the Civil Merit Ceremony
Born (2007-04-29) 29 April 2007 (age 17)
Madrid, Spain
Names
Sofía de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz
HouseBourbon-Anjou
FatherFelipe VI
MotherLetizia Ortiz Rocasolano
SignatureInfanta Sofía's signature
Spanish royal family
Coat of arms of the King of Spain

King Juan Carlos I
Queen Sofía

Extended royal family

Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz:

  • Doña Simoneta
  • Don Bruno
  • Don Luis

The Duchess of Soria and Hernani
The Duke of Soria and Hernani

  • Don Alfonso
  • Doña María

The Dowager Duchess of Calabria

Infanta Sofía of Spain (Sofía de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz; born 29 April 2007) is a member of the Spanish royal family. She is the younger daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia[1] and, as such, is second in the line of succession to the Spanish throne behind her sister, Leonor, Princess of Asturias.

Sofía was born at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Juan Carlos I. She has received the same education as her sister, being educated at the Santa María de los Rosales School and, in 2023, she started an International Baccalaureate at the UWC Atlantic College in Wales, United Kingdom.

Early life and family

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Infanta Sofía was born on 29 April 2007 at 16:50 (CET) at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid by means of a caesarean section, two days after due date.[2] Like her elder sister, her birth was announced by the royal family to the press via SMS.[3] It was announced that her umbilical cord stem cells would be sent to a European private bank in Belgium and to a Spanish public one.[4][5] The parents, then the Prince and Princess of Asturias, did the same with Leonor's cells: they were taken to a private center in Arizona, which caused controversy in Spain.[6]

Sofía was named after her paternal grandmother, Queen Sofía. She was christened on 15 July by the Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio María Rouco Varela, in the gardens of the Palacio de la Zarzuela.[7] Her godparents are Paloma Rocasolano (her maternal grandmother) and Konstantin, Prince of Vidin (Konstantin-Assen de Bulgaria). Like her sister, she was given one name, with the additional name of de Todos los Santos (of All the Saints), at her christening, a Bourbon tradition.[8]

She received her First Communion on 17 May 2017 at the parish Asunción de Nuestra Señora, and was accompanied by her parents, her older sister, her grandparents, her maternal great-grandmother Menchu Álvarez del Valle, her step-grandmother Ana Togores, and her godfather Konstantin-Assen of Bulgaria, Prince of Vidin.[9][10] On 23 May 2023, she received the sacrament of confirmation.[11]

Education

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Like her older sister, in 2009, Sofía started her education at the Escuela Infantil Guardia Real, the daycare for the children of the Spanish Royal Guard.[12] On 13 September 2010, she began her first year of primary school at the Santa María de los Rosales School in Madrid.[13] In August 2023, she began studying a 2-year International Baccalaureate program at the UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.[14]

Activities

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Infanta Sofía (left), along with her royal family and other authorities at the National Day celebrations on 12 October 2014.

As Infanta of Spain, it is very common to see her in official events with her parents and sister, such as the opening of Parliament, the National Day parade or the Princess of Asturias Award and Princess of Girona Award ceremonies. At the age of 3, she attended her first event, an official reception at the Royal Palace on the occasion of the victory of the Spanish national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[15] In fact, it was in 2021 when Infanta Sofía and Princess Leonor participated in their first joint act alone without their parents, representing the "A Tree for Europe" campaign of the European youth association Equipo Europa.[16]

While her sister was studying abroad, she took center stage by accompanying her parents to different events, such as the 2021[17] and 2022[18] National Day parades or the 2023 Copa del Rey final.[19]

On 16 July 2022, she accompanied her sister Leonor in her first international trip. Both royals traveled alone to support the Spanish women's national football team, which was playing for a place in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 against Denmark.[20]

In late August 2023, she travelled with her mother, Queen Letizia, to Australia to see the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup between Spain and England.[21] The Queen and the Infanta delivered the trophy to the World Champions, Spain, and celebrated with them on the pitch.[22][23] Indirectly, this drew criticism to the British royal family for their absence from the event.[24][25][26]

In April 2024, Patrimonio Nacional announced that she would be a patron of a photo contest.[27] The photography contest aims to showcase the beauty of Spain. She will hand out awards in November. This marks her first solo act for the crown of Spain and many have had a great reaction.

Title and style

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Since her birth, Sofía has been an Infanta of Spain, with the style of Royal Highness. Although with the same dignity and status as a prince, Sofia does not hold the title of princess, because in Spain only the heir to the Crown is allowed to carry that title.[28]

Sofía's full title is: Her Royal Highness Infanta Doña Sofia.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Felipe VI. "Su Alteza Real la Infanta Doña Sofía". Casa de Su Majestad el Rey de España (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Nacimiento de la segunda hija de Sus Altezas Reales los Príncipes de Asturias". Casa Real. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 1 May 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. ^ Agencias (29 April 2007). "La segunda hija de los Príncipes de Asturias se llamará Sofía" [The second daughter of the Prince and Princess of Asturias will be called Sofía]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  4. ^ Font, Consuelo (17 October 2009). "El 'banco de vida' de Sofía de Borbón está en un centro de Alemania". El Mundo (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial Internet, S.L. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  5. ^ "Los Príncipes congelarán las células madre de la infanta Sofia". El Periódico (in Spanish). Grupo Zeta. 29 April 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Nacimiento.- Los Príncipes también conservarán células madre del cordón umbilical de la infanta Sofía". Europa Press (in Spanish). Madrid. 29 April 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Bautizo real de la infanta Sofía, segunda hija de los Príncipes de Asturias". HOLA (in Spanish). 15 July 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ Galaz, Márbel (15 July 2007). "Sofía ya es Sofía de Todos los Santos" [Sofia is already Sofia de Todos los Santos]. El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Todos los detalles de la Comunión de la Infanta Sofía". Semana (in Spanish). 15 May 2017. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  10. ^ Redacción y Agencias (17 May 2017). "La infanta Sofía toma la comunión acompañada por sus padres y abuelos". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  11. ^ "La infanta Sofía recibe la confirmación junto a los Reyes, su hermana Leonor y sus abuelos, pero con la ausencia de Juan Carlos". El País (in Spanish). 25 May 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  12. ^ "La infanta Sofía comenzará a ir a la Escuela Infantil de la Guardia Real en septiembre". HOLA (in Spanish). 15 July 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  13. ^ "La infanta Sofía termina el colegio y empieza la cuenta atrás para su nueva vida en Gales: así ha sido su evolución". El Español (in Spanish). 26 June 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. ^ de los Ríos, Elena (29 August 2023). "La infanta Sofía se marcha a Gales con un incierto futuro por delante: dos años para definir su camino y su papel en la Casa Real". Mujerhoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Los Reyes han recibido a los campeones del mundo en el Palacio Real". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 12 July 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  16. ^ Ambassadors Ainhoa Villán, Adrián Morcillo and Verónica Pardos represented Equipo Europa. https://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_espanola/20210714190806/princesa-leonor-infanta-sofia-primer-acto-solas/
  17. ^ "La princesa Leonor causa baja en la Fiesta Nacional y la infanta Sofía se llevará todo el protagonismo". Lecturas (in Spanish). 8 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  18. ^ "La Princesa Leonor falla por segundo año al día de la Hispanidad con la vista puesta en su gran reaparición". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. ^ Mora, Ángela (6 May 2023). "La infanta Sofía, con don Felipe en el fútbol: sola con su padre en un acto oficial, siete años después". vanitatis.elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ^ "Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía support Spain in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022". HOLA. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Spain's Queen Letizia to attend World Cup final against England". BBC News. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Queen Letizia holds winners' trophy as Spain defeats England in Sydney". honey.nine.com.au. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.[permanent dead link‍]
  23. ^ https://www.facebook.com/peoplemag. "Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia of Spain Celebrate World Cup Win on the Field with Team: 'Champions!'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 23 August 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); External link in |last= (help)
  24. ^ Davies, Caroline (20 August 2023). "Prince William faces criticism for not attending Women's World Cup final". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  25. ^ Khalil, Hafsa (20 August 2023). "Spanish queen celebrates side's World Cup victory as British royals stay home". CNN. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Royal family 'should definitely' have attended World Cup final, says Sir Geoff Hurst". The Independent. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  27. ^ ""Objetivo Patrimonio": S.A.R. La Infanta Sofía amadrina el nuevo concurso de fotografía de Patrimonio Nacional".
  28. ^ "Los títulos de la familia del Rey". El Mundo (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial Información General S.L.U. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  29. ^ Ministry of Justice. "Royal Decree 1368/1987, of November 6, on the regime of titles, treatments and honors of the Royal Family and the Regents". www.boe.es (in Spanish). p. 33717. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Infanta Sofía of Spain.
Infanta Sofía of Spain
Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty
Born: 29 April 2007
Lines of succession
Preceded by Line of succession to the Spanish throne
2nd in line 		Succeeded by
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