When you're Spanish royalty, no pop star or sporting event is off limits.
So how does Infanta Sofía of Spain spend her time?
Born on April 29th, 2007, Infanta Sofía de Borbón y Ortiz is the youngest daughter of
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain. The now 15-year-old was named after her grandmother,
Queen Sofía, and she's currently second in the line of succession after Princess
Leonor... that is, if King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia don't have a son.
Nonetheless, she was born into royalty, allowing her to experience an exclusive way of life most
people couldn't comprehend. While life under royalty can come with its own set of privileges
mixed with limitations, it seems that Infanta Sofía is able to live an eventful life within
the confines of her royal family, but her personal life is heavily protected from the general public.
As the second daughter of the soon-to-be king and queen of Spain,
Sofía's arrival was breaking news. Felipe VI, along with the king's house,
informed journalists of the birth of Infanta Sofía — both in the form of a speech and text.
Infanta Sofía was born at the Rúber Internacional clinic in Madrid, Spain. Weighing in at just over
7 pounds, King Felipe ensured the public of Sofía's health while thanking the medical
team in the process. The king's house also sent out a text message to journalists.
Forty-five minutes before Sofía's birth, the general public was informed that her mother
Letizia had gone into labor — information so big that it caused Infanta Cristina,
the daughter of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, to announce her excitement of the birth
of her niece during the Conde de Godó tennis tournament award ceremony. Like her sister
Leonor's birth in 2005, Sofía's introduction to the Spanish royal family was well-received.
Receiving one's first holy communion, an important Catholic ceremony, is tradition
in the Spanish royal family. Princess Leonor received this ceremony in 2015,
breaking tradition by appearing in a schoolgirl uniform. She stepped up to her
role as future queen and gave a speech expressing her excitement and nervousness about the ceremony.
Infanta Sofía followed similar protocols given to her sister two years prior. Appearing in the
same schoolgirl uniform Leonor wore, Sofía received her first communion with her family
and friends in attendance. When asked about her feelings towards her first holy communion,
she told Spanish publication El País that she was calm. Although Infanta Sofía didn't give a
speech like her sister, she did get to enjoy a private lunch with her family members who
attended the event, celebrating a milestone that she'll remember for years to come.
As her title suggests, "Infanta" means the daughter of a Spanish
or Portuguese monarch. Despite several misconceptions, Infanta Sofía doesn't
have dibs on the throne. Spain's line of succession follows hereditary influence,
but only to a degree. Although Princess Leonor is currently heir presumptive to the throne,
she isn't the heir apparent. According to its definition, heir presumptive means that one is
presumed to follow a line of succession given the existing conditions. If specific conditions are
met, it could change the trajectory of Princess Leonor's potential role as queen of Spain.
What are these conditions exactly? It all depends on whether King Felipe
VI and Queen Letizia ever have a baby boy. The Spanish royal family seemingly
follows a male-centric hierarchy system, giving the king's son the title of prince
and allowing him to become the new heir presumptive. If this were to be the case,
future queen Leonor would have to drop her title and become an Infanta, just like her
sister Sofía. Of course, this doesn't mean that they'd never see the throne for sure,
but their place in line would simply get bumped down if they were to have a brother in the future.
Before her marriage to King Felipe VI,
Queen Letizia was a well-known journalist and news anchor,
working for networks like ABC and CNN. That changed following her marriage to King Felipe VI,
when she became a proud mother of two, and decided to keep her daughters away from the public eye.
On April 1st, 2018, we caught a glimpse of how Sofía's mother tries to keep her and her sister,
Princess Leonor, away from unnecessary public attention. After attending Sunday mass, Queen
Sofía took a moment to pose with her two grandkids for those taking pictures outside the venue. Queen
Letizia then quickly jumped in front of the three, seemingly displeased with her mother-in-law for
posing with her two daughters. While we may never know what the riff was truly about, it seems that
Letizia wanted to enforce that although the girls are royalty, their privacy should be respected.
As the daughters of one of the most fashionable royals, it's safe to assume that the girls'
closets are filled with lots of chic attire. When they were younger, Sofía and Leonor dressed
similarly; from beige Burberry trench coats to floral dresses paired with cropped cardigans,
the Princesses of Spain shared several twin moments over the years. As they got older,
however, their styles started to shift as they slowly grew into their own.
Mostly opting for dresses in solid colors, Infanta Sofía's sense of
style is not as loud as her sister's. Despite their different tastes in fashion,
the duo has no problem sharing their ever-growing wardrobes with each other. In October 2019,
Leonor was spotted with her mother and sister wearing a long-sleeve blue and white patterned
top that Sofía had worn the year before. To get even with her sister, Sofía was then spotted
wearing a striped Massimo Dutti blouse in 2020, which was the same blouse Leonor wore in August
2019. While we're sure that both of them have enough clothes in their individual closets,
it seems like they'd prefer to borrow from each other before buying something new.
The Spanish royal family's trip to Palma de Mallorca is usually a time for them to visit
monuments and locations they otherwise wouldn't have time to see. During their summer vacation in
2020, Hola! Magazine reported that the family took a tour of Spain's self-governing communities in an
effort to support those affected by the pandemic, one of which included the Balearic Islands.
While this all sounds like heavy-duty work for a family on vacation, the Spanish royals definitely
took time out of their hectic schedule for historical rendezvous. Amid their public outings,
however, onlookers were rightfully worried as they witnessed that Infanta Sofía had suffered
an injury. According to Express, Sofía was walking around with an injured knee during a museum tour
on August 10th, 2020. Paired with crutches and bandages wrapped around her right knee,
it seems like the injury she sustained was severe. According to Hola! Magazine, the injury required
five stitches, with reports claiming that she fell in the Marivent Palace, their summer home.
This didn't stop the Spanish royals, however, as they continued on with their annual getaway.
Photographs of their public outing showed Princess Leonor offering her injured sister a helping hand.
Although much of their private life remains hidden from the general public,
Hola! Magazine revealed that Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía heavily engage in athletic
activities, from ballet to skiing to tennis to volleyball. They even accessorized their
book bags with tiny ballet slippers for their first day of school in 2019.
In July 2022, we witnessed their love for soccer as they stood alongside their national team when
Spain faced off against Denmark in the Union of European Football Associations Women's Euro
2022. It's no surprise that Sofía and Leonor have taken a liking to soccer,
as it's one of the most popular sports in Spain. In addition to representing Spain,
Sofía and Leonor were also spotted with the president of the Royal Spanish Soccer
Federation before the match. While the two usually opt for masks to protect themselves
from unwanted attention, it seemed like they were okay with standing among the
London crowd. After all, everyone had their attention directed toward the intense game.
Spain! At the death dashes the hopes of Denmark!
Attending a concert as a member of the royal family may seem to go against Queen Letizia's
principles of privacy, but in July 2022, the mother of two decided to take her kids out for
a night of fun. Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía started their annual summer vacation in
style as they attended a Harry Styles concert at the Wizink Center in Madrid. This was just hours
before their flight to Palma de Mallorca, where they usually stay during their summer getaway.
As part of Styles' "Love on Tour" run, his stop in Madrid seemingly excited the daughters of royalty.
Just before the concert, Queen Letizia, Leonor, and Sofía all greeted the English singer in his
dressing room, presumably to wish him luck and grab an autograph before the show. During the
two-hour concert, onlookers stated that the mother-and-daughter trio shared a VIP section
with friends and security — dancing the night away in masks to ensure they wouldn't be recognized
by those in attendance. According to Semana, they were escorted out just minutes before the
end of the concert in another attempt to avoid unwanted public attention. Despite
the heavy schedule ahead of them — like attending the Atlàntida Mallorca Film Fest,
Queen Letizia found the time to give her daughters an experience they'll never forget.