Meet Her Royal Highness Infanta Sofía Of Spain
Born on April 29, 2007, Infanta Sofía de Borbón y Ortiz is the youngest daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain. According to PopSugar, the now 15-year-old was named after her grandmother, Queen Sofía — who was unaware of this until the very last minute. The name presumably represents wisdom, per her grandmother's Greek lineage. As her title suggests, Sofía isn't necessarily an heiress to the Spanish throne like her older sister, 17-year-old Princess Leonor, who was once an Infanta herself before their father rose to the throne as king. As the king and queen's second daughter, however, Sofía is currently third in the line of succession after Princess Leonor (via El País) — that is if King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia don't have a son, but we'll touch more on that later.
Nonetheless, she was born into royalty, therefore 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. At 15 years of age, she seems to have a lot of interests such as professional soccer and — wait for it — Harry Styles' music. Since her personal life is heavily protected from the general public, there are a lot of things you may not know about the ever-growing Infanta herself. To explore this even further, allow us to introduce you to her royal highness, Infanta Sofia of Spain.
Her birth was announced via text message
The idea of your birth being recognized by an entire country is quite the honor. New life should be celebrated, and the news of Sofía's birth certainly was. 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.
According to El País, Infanta Sofía was born on April 29, 2007, at 4:50 p.m. at the Rúber Internacional clinic in Madrid, Spain. Weighing in at about 7.3 pounds, Felipe VI ensured the public of Sofía's health while thanking the medical team in the process. Along with revealing the name of the baby and their plans to keep the umbilical cord blood, the king's house sent out a text message to journalists stating, "Prensa Zarzuela. 17.28 h. HRH the Princess of Asturias has given birth to a girl."
Forty-five minutes before Sofía's birth, the general public was informed that her mother Letizia (who was referred to as the Princess of Asturias) had gone into labor — information so big that it caused Infanta Cristina (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.
She received her first communion at 10 years old
For many years, prior Spanish kings and queens alike shared a common faith in Catholicism. Receiving one's first holy communion — an important Catholic ceremony — is tradition in the Spanish royal family. According to Semana, Infanta Sofía, and Princess Leonor were the last two to follow this tradition within their royal lineage. According to El País, Princess Leonor received this same ceremony in 2015. Despite her supposedly 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 of Spain 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. While this appeared to be a momentous occasion, the 10-year-old Infanta seemed relaxed throughout the ceremony. When asked about her feelings towards her first holy communion, she told Spanish publication El País that she was calm (via Yahoo). Although Infanta Sofía never gave a speech like her sister, she did get to enjoy a private lunch with her family members who attended the event. As she is potentially the last to receive this ceremony within the Spanish royal family (until she and her sister have children of their own), it certainly is a milestone that Sofía will remember for years to come.
She isn't the heir presumptive
As her title suggests, "Infanta" merely means the daughter of a Spanish or Portuguese monarch (via Webster's dictionary). Despite several misconceptions, Infanta Sofía doesn't have dibs on the throne in ways many of us believe. According to PopSugar, Sofía is currently third in line for the Spanish throne, but she isn't the heiress to the crown like Princess Leonor is. 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. This means that 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? According to Pure Wow, 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, as they are still part of the royal family, but their place in line would simply get bumped down if they were to have a brother in the future.
Her mother shields her from the public
Those who have any kind of notoriety among the general public are expected to face the wrath of paparazzi. Whether it be a celebrity or a daughter of a royal family, a public appearance from the likes of a well-known figure is sure to be met with a barrage of flash photography, something that Queen Letizia knows far too well. Before her marriage to King Felipe VI — which thrusted her into the queen position — she was a well-known journalist and news anchor (via Insider). Working for known networks such as ABC and CNN, Queen Letizia was an established figure in journalism. Following her marriage to King Felipe VI, she became a proud mother of two who generally wants the best for her daughters — and to her, that seems to be a well-maintained distance away from the public eye.
On April 1, 2018, we caught a glimpse of how Sofía's mother tries to keep her and her sister, Princess Leonor, away from unnecessary public attention (via People). 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 no matter what.
She took COVID-19 very seriously
As a member of the Spanish royal family, Infanta Sofía is well aware of the tragedies that can and have occurred not only in her country but around the world. So, when COVID-19 emerged, it became clear that this disease was severe enough to cause concern. Princesses Sofía and Leonor became proactive in doing what they could to help end the disease — Princess Leonor even had to remind her father to put his mask back on after giving a speech dedicated to those who lost their lives to COVID-19 (via Newsweek).
Their seriousness towards the topic spans far beyond their age. In 2020, the sisters joined together to deliver a heartfelt speech for those feeling the effects of the pandemic. Sofía stated, "You don't need to be a grown-up to be aware of the incredible difficulties we are going through in Spain and other countries" (via Hola! Magazine). The two also expressed their gratitude for those protecting them during a time of uncertainty. Despite their stern and mature body language, they left off on a more somber note, with Leonor stating, "I hope all this ends soon." The two have seemingly done their best to relieve the stress COVID-19 has caused to those around them. From their speech to participating in a virtual reading event to praise health workers (via Town & Country), it seems like Sofía took the pandemic very seriously.
She's a fan of Harry Styles
Attending a music 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 amongst thousands of raging fans. 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 (via Semana). 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 (via El País) — Queen Letizia found the time to give her daughters an experience they'll never forget. There you have it: Even princesses are huge Harry Styles fans.
Sofía suffered a knee injury in 2020
The Spanish royal family's trip to Palma de Mallorca is usually a time for them to visit notorious 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 that is supposedly 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 their tour of the museum dedicated to a well-known 18th-century Franciscan friar, Junípero Serra Ferrer on August 10, 2020. Paired with crutches and bandages wrapped around her right knee, it seems like the injury she sustained was severe. According to Hola! Magazine, this was an injury that required five stitches. As for why this may have been the case, reports claim that she fell in the Marivent Palace, their summer home. This never stopped the Spanish royals, however, as they continued on with their annual getaway. With as much traveling they do during their summer vacation, it may have caused Sofía some discomfort. Fortunately, photographs of their public outing showed Princess Leonor offering her injured sister a helping hand.
She's into soccer
In addition to being fans of Harry Styles, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía are into sports. Although much of their private life remains hidden from the general public, Hola! Magazine states that the two heavily engage in athletic activities. From ballet to skiing to tennis to volleyball, Sofía and her sister have never shied away from expressing their love for a multitude of sports. They even went as far as accessorizing their bookbags with tiny ballet slippers for their first day of school in 2019.
In July 2022, we saw their love for soccer shine through as they stood alongside their national team when Spain faced off against Denmark in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Women's Euro 2022 (via Hola! Magazine). It's no surprise that Sofía and Leonor have taken a liking to soccer, as it is one of the most popular sports in Spain. Their first solo international trip saw the royal duo rally their favored team as they were able to squeeze out a 1-0 victory at the very last minute. In addition to representing Spain, Sofía and Leonor were also spotted with the president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation, Luis Rubiales, 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.
Sofía and her sister Leonor steal each other's clothes
As the daughters of Queen Letizia — who's considered 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 to one another. From beige Burberry trench coats to floral dresses paired with cropped cardigans, the Princesses of Spain shared several twin moments over the years (via Town & Country). 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 black and white patterned top that Sofía had worn the year prior (via Hola! Magazine). 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. Since they're sisters, it's only natural for one sibling to want a piece of clothing the other has. 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. We can relate!