80th Birthday Celebrations of King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia - 2018

[Lee-Z]

That is not do exceptional. Many sons adore their mother.

and that has lead to many a spousal argument when the son took his mother's side over his spouse ?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Sofia's numerous appearances on the cover of Hola over the years.

https://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_espanola/20181102131975/reina-sofia-portada-hola-vida/

 

[lula]

As a son, it is impossible that Felipe is not resentful with some attitudes of his mother... but he is not stupid, he knows that in the family history of the last years Sofia is the victim for public opinion, and therefore the one that with her actions and those of people around her puts the press and public opinion on her side. So the King has no choice but to negotiate, if he does not want his mother to become another problem.

We all knew that with her attitude it was inevitable that Sofia would force the photo with her daughter on her birthday, and being mom's birthday people would more or less accept. The concert could have become a circus for the press, and was a small event for Sofia and her generation.

Sofia is not adapting well to live in the background in a discreet way, if you compare her with Beatrix or the Belgians. She does not have enough with the events that the Royal House gives her, she is generating a kind of parallel agenda communicating her personal activities constantly to the press.

 

[Winnie]

LULA, very well thought out post. Sofia needs the adored public opinion now in her later years. She was vilified for many years as a newly married in media [always felt sorry for her] and married to an adulterer that was proud of his bits-on-the-side and made no attempt to change his ways over the many years. Felt it was his right while wife was publicly humiliated. Only happiness the queen received was later in her "good works" and her children. Then it all literally hit the fan causing King to step down and daughter's husband to land in jail. She is no longer wife of sitting king and her once lovely family is being ripped apart. The woman is hanging in there the only way she see fit. She is now not the type to sit back and enjoy her life as Beatrix is classily doing because she doesn't want to. She is now used to and loves the adoration of media. Who can blame her. As in all Mediterranean close families, Momma rules and all sons put them first. My Italian first mother-in-law was the same and everyone knew and did their bit. Sofia is just acting as she sees she must to stay viable and loved in the public eye. She knows media hates her daughter-in-law, so why not. Deep down I tend to feel sorry for Sofia as her life, although in some ways rich, in others really awful and all done publicly. JMHO

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

It may be a bit off topic but I don't think the marriage of JC and Sofia can be judged by today's standards where most adulterers would be shown the door quickly.
Sofia comes from a generation where adultery was normal or at least tolerated and she was raised to be a Queen, put duty first. It's what she did, and Felipe can thank her for that, because there might not be a Spanish King today had Sofia shown JC the door in the early days. In terms of what she did for the country, her image as professional Queen is untarnished. Of course Sofia will have gotten something in return, and maybe she did not suffer as much as people project into her. Apart from being Queen of Spain, she had and still has a lot of freedom in terms of what she can do in her private life and obviously a lot of influence in the family. Felipe always looks happy and delighted when is mother is around, but maybe he is only a good actor.
One can only imagine what it means for a modern woman like Letizia to bear it and grin when it comes to Sofia's attitudes that are tolerated by her husband. If Felipe was a normal guy, she'd probably already shown him the door. And in Palma it was not only about her, Leonor was involved there too.

As for mediterranean families, Sofia is greek/german, a rather cool and calclulating woman.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Sofia must be doing something right as she is the most popular member of her family,others could learn a thing or two on how to turn things around in your favour. Without her there would only be the king left with an unpopular father and consort and that would be a disaster for the royal house.

Queen Sofia I believe was always the power behind the throne as queen consort and queen mother.

 

[Livia]

Not too many years ago Sofia was called "La Griega" in Spain, she was a foreign woman and above all she doesn't speak spanish very well, she has a very strong accent, that nick "La Griega" was a disrespectul one, like an insult.

Now she is loved only for one reason, Spain lives now in a politically correct era, for example it's really bad to be an adulterous and must be punished, in this case JC has several lovers so Sofia is the poor wife who was at home while her husband is with a ex princess called Corinna when he fell and broke his hip when he was hunting elephants, the press is very very smart and sold this story so perfectly than they made Sofía the abnegate wife, a martyr.

All my life I've heard she was not so nice as she seems to be but she has a strong character and is a cold woman, and that she was educated to be a Queen and nothing less (weird situation because when she married JC their future were not clear at all), also she lived practically the whole year in London and she come back to Spain only when she had an event. I don't know what believe because I only know the nice Queen Sofia, charming, polite.... and I like her.

The BIG problem I think it's that Juan Carlos had to abdicate due to his daughter Cristina and obviously his son-in-law, Sofía was not prepared to leave her position as a Queen of Spain and go to the second line, she is trying to find her place in front line even if there are now another titular Queen called Letizia, who is hated for the yellow press even if they live thanks to her and their mean, no sense and full of fake-news articles. For this press: the first is Sofía, and Letizia ... to the trash, this is the reason they made a big story about the supposed Palma's incident that I believe never existed.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

LULA, very well thought out post. Sofia needs the adored public opinion now in her later years. She was vilified for many years as a newly married in media [always felt sorry for her] and married to an adulterer that was proud of his bits-on-the-side and made no attempt to change his ways over the many years. Felt it was his right while wife was publicly humiliated. Only happiness the queen received was later in her "good works" and her children. Then it all literally hit the fan causing King to step down and daughter's husband to land in jail. She is no longer wife of sitting king and her once lovely family is being ripped apart. The woman is hanging in there the only way she see fit. She is now not the type to sit back and enjoy her life as Beatrix is classily doing because she doesn't want to. She is now used to and loves the adoration of media. Who can blame her. As in all Mediterranean close families, Momma rules and all sons put them first. My Italian first mother-in-law was the same and everyone knew and did their bit. Sofia is just acting as she sees she must to stay viable and loved in the public eye. She knows media hates her daughter-in-law, so why not. Deep down I tend to feel sorry for Sofia as her life, although in some ways rich, in others really awful and all done publicly. JMHO

I don't really see much of a difference between Doña Sofía and Princess Beatrix. Both have had periods in which they were seen as hautain, stern, aloof, cold, distant. But both are now very popular with the public. Both appear in public at events they like. Princess Beatrix even still attends State Banquets. Both have been outstanding royals and I am happy with the public reaction on them.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The adulation and bursts of applause from the crowds on Friday night say it loud and clear to Juan Carlos on how popular his wife is

 

[Somebody]

Sofia is not adapting well to live in the background in a discreet way, if you compare her with Beatrix or the Belgians. She does not have enough with the events that the Royal House gives her, she is generating a kind of parallel agenda communicating her personal activities constantly to the press.

The Belgian emeritus king and queen are in no way comparable to princess Beatrix. Where the latter actively supports her son and daughter-in-law by taking on a few engagements here and there with the full support of king Willem-Alexander; Albert and Paola undermine instead of support their son's kingship.

Sofia is indeed still active but given that the Casa Real currently exists of only 4 adult members among whom the emeritus king who isn't that healthy, she is the only one that can really take on engagements that Felipe and Letizia cannot take on. So, while Letizia might not that happy about it, it is Felipe who is the one who could stop his mother if he wanted to but imo that would be a bad move.

 

[An Ard Ri]

King Juan Carlos hasn't had an official act in months its really just the King,Queen and Queen Sofia on the official agenda

 

[Somebody]

If the kings Felipe and Letizia, attend the Royal Theater gala, it is they who would have to preside over the box, which would delegate Sofía y Juan Carlos to a second place.
We wanted to give prominence to Sofia, and therefore it was impossible for FyL to attend.
As for the photo on the door of Zarzuela, it was artificial and an error. It does not look like a family photo, but a photo of those that are made when there is an audience in Zarzuela. That is not a spontaneous family photo. And in the photo that seems institutional, it is a mistake to include CRISTINA, the one who has been stripped of the title of duchess and who should never return to acts of real house that are not family.
If Sofia wanted a picture with her grandchildren, she could have emulated Juan Carlos and take the picture in a private place in the residence
What I do not understand is how Felipe lends himself to his mother's games, which hurt both him and the Spanish crown.:triste::triste:

This was a family occasion (a private lunch of which the Casa Real was so kind to release a family picture), so completely appropriate for Sofía to include all her family members who were present celebrating her 80th birthday. She clearly did not just want a picture with all her grandchildren (although that one might also have been taken) but one with both her children and grandchildren.

Clearly some thought went into this picture making sure that Felipe's head wasn't in front of his nephew's. All others are small enough to make sure that those two steps up would be visible.

 

[camelot23ca]

Sofia is indeed still active but given that the Casa Real currently exists of only 4 adult members among whom the emeritus king who isn't that healthy, she is the only one that can really take on engagements that Felipe and Letizia cannot take on. So, while Letizia might not that happy about it, it is Felipe who is the one who could stop his mother if he wanted to but imo that would be a bad move.

Very true.

The idea that Felipe is somehow helpless to stop his conniving mother or that he’s so blinded by love for her that he allows her to do things that don’t benefit the Spanish crown is ludicrous. Sofia is an asset to the Spanish royal family, one of the few they’ve got, and one can only hope Felipe gets down on his knees every night and thanks god his mother is willing and healthy enough to continue with her public role.

As for Felipe taking his mother’s side after Palma, where on earth is the evidence of that? The scene at Palma was unbelievably ugly and I would bet well over 90 percent of the Spanish public saw the video and put the blame squarely on Letizia. Even worse, the controversy involved Leonor. In that thirty seconds Letizia caused an incalculable amount of damage to herself and the image of the SRF both at home and abroad and Felipe and the royal household know it. If Sofia was manipulative and resentful of losing prominence what she would have done was retreat and let Felipe and Letizia deal with the crisis themselves. No happy family scenes at the hospital or on vacation, no business as usual public engagements. Instead she did the professional thing and helped them in THEIR time of need by appearing with them and their daughters in public to show there were no hard feelings and send the message the public and press should move on, (not likely).

Letizia’s reputation will never completely recover but all the happy family nonsense we’ve seen over the past several months, as a part of the overall change in attitude of the royal house, has hopefully allowed Leonor to move on unscathed which, from the point of view of the institution, is the only thing that matters.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I agree, that's why it went to the extreme that Letizia opened the car door for Sofia, what a gesture in this context, and Sofia got exactly what she wanted in the church, posing with the girls, holding their hands and Letizia letting it happen, in the best of moods. Leonor getting involved certainly was a worst case scenario.

And yes, I don't think that Felipe is blinded but he will appease his mother partly because he adores her, partly because he doesnt want to start a major argument with her as she is still important to the working casareal. I think there will be a limit though, and I am sure Sofia will already have tested that limit to the max when it comes to Cristina. Felipe will only deny her when the reputation of the crown is arguably on the line. A birthday celebration or funeral as in the past is not among those events.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Let us not forget that the life of Doña Sofía had one major goal: to get the apple of her eye, her boy, on the throne of Spain. This lioness will do anything to let her cub succeed. Somehow Doña Letizia seems to see her as a competitor, but she should see Doña Sofía as an ally in maintaining the throne for Felipe and -more important- to get Doña Leonor in the same position.

 

[lula]

I think that in this case, Sofia is who is not used to being in the background and who constantly seeks the attention of the press. She was used to having her space of power and inside this she did what she wanted, and now that her institutional role is less, she continues to seek to be a protagonist, and now she does it outside the restrictive limits of the role of queen.

In Palma, Sofia acted as if she was still the queen ... she ordered the girls to stop greeting people to take her picture as the protagonist.

It is not understandable, for example, that Sofia is still determined to go as the "third wheel" to the Princess of Asturias Awards. Apparently this year, she took advantage of the event to comment to the press on her new great project, to become a savior of the seas.

She has an official agenda provided by the House of the King, but she uses her Foundation to create a parallel agenda. For years her foundation did a good job with the Alzheimer's theme, one would expect that once retired as queen, she could continue working discreetly from her foundation in those subjects... but what she has done is to use it as a platform to support a lot of new causes that are popular and that help her stay in the press and project a good image. Who will not love her photos with pandas and seals?

If on the one hand the popularity of Sofia is beneficial for the Crown, on the other hand it is an obstacle in the way of the new Royal House and the new King and Queen, that from their institutional position can not enter into that game.

 

[Mbruno]

Very true.

The idea that Felipe is somehow helpless to stop his conniving mother or that he’s so blinded by love for her that he allows her to do things that don’t benefit the Spanish crown is ludicrous. Sofia is an asset to the Spanish royal family, one of the few they’ve got, and one can only hope Felipe gets down on his knees every night and thanks god his mother is willing and healthy enough to continue with her public role.

There are many examples in history of influential queen mothers. most notably in France and Spain. Sofía/Sophia is just another member of that group.

 

[An Ard Ri]

So long as Queen Sofia is alive Letizia will always be in her shadow and I do not think that the queen mother will retire anytime soon.

I'm sure the royal house is aware the queen consort is not popular but Sofia was a very hard act to follow which is unfortunate for Letizia and I'm not sure if Letizia will ever shine during her mother in laws lifetime.

 

[Blog Real]

Queen Sofia will never do anything to harm her son. She adores her son and her greatest ambition was for her son to become king what has already happened. I do not think Letizia is in Sofia's shadow, Letizia is queen and has her own agenda and shines when it has to shine. Sofia does different things now, it's more popular than Letizia, but I do not think she wants to take the lead in her daughter-in-law. They are two women of different generations and each one has a different role in the royal house and I am sure the two want the best for the institution they represent.
The objective of the royal house and of Sofia, Felipe and Letizia is now to maintain the monarchy and prepare everything so that Leonor has a good image and prepare the best possible one day to be Queen of Spain, and of course Felipe has a good reign.

 

[maria-olivia]

For the pictures outside Z. I wonder how many royals left just after the picture .

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

Asides from being closely related to the Greek/Spanish/Danish/Romanian and Hanover royal families,Sofia and Juan Carlos were very friendly with other reigning houses.

The late King Hussein of Jordan,Prince Rainier III,Princess Grace ,King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola were frequent visitors with the SRF.


King Juan Carlos,Queen Sofia,King Hussein and Queen Noor
https://goo.gl/images/WjE8nr

Kings Baudouin and Juan Carlos
https://goo.gl/images/XUUx1k

Prince Albert,Prince Rainier III,King Juan Carlos

https://goo.gl/images/yBHZSY

Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Felipe and Princess Grace

https://goo.gl/images/o8EwMZ

I never expected to see a member of the BRF in attendance I don't think the Borbons and Windsors are particularly close.

It was a relatively private celebration, so we Sofia's friends were invited and as she was queen herself, princess from birth and sister of a king, they include many other royals. I don't think the BRF received an invite (certainly not one to be passed on to someone else).

The Earl of Wessex is undertaking his own African tour - even meeting up with and doing a joint engagement with Charles.

Andrew is in China undertaking official engagements.

The only child of HM in the UK at the moment is Anne and she is busy.

William has also been doing engagements in the UK.

Maybe the Spanish didn't invite the Brits.

Remember that the Spanish government stopped Sofia attending The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 so that could still be rankling (and yes I know there has been a State Visit from the King and Queen to the UK).

Were the Danes, Swedes and Norwegians there? I haven't seen any mention of the Dutch or Belgians either.

It appears that I have been firmly stood corrected in my previous assumptions of the relationship between the SRF and the BRF - it makes more sense now that they weren't present (as much as, as a Brit, I would've liked for them to have been there).

 

[An Ard Ri]

It seems only those really close to queen Sofia were invited there were no Belgian,Dutch,Danish,Swedish,Norweian or Monégasque present either or members of Sofia's mothers royal houses -Hannover and Prussia.

I had expected to see the Duke of Alba present myself.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

So long as Queen Sofia is alive Letizia will always be in her shadow and I do not think that the queen mother will retire anytime soon.

I'm sure the royal house is aware the queen consort is not popular but Sofia was a very hard act to follow which is unfortunate for Letizia and I'm not sure if Letizia will ever shine during her mother in laws lifetime.

I don't think she will ever shine or make Felipe shine (eg like Maxima does with WA) because once Sofia sr. passes, Leonor and Sofia jr. will be adults and in the full focus of the press, one as heiress and one as celebrity.

And it remains to be seen how Letizia will cope with the loss of attention.

 

[Winnie]

I don't think she will ever shine or make Felipe shine (eg like Maxima does with WA) because once Sofia sr. passes, Leonor and Sofia jr. will be adults and in the full focus of the press, one as heiress and one as celebrity.

And it remains to be seen how Letizia will cope with the loss of attention.

Yes, I agree, that will be interesting. But if a good loving parent [which I believe Letizia is] she will gladly be happy that her daughters shine in public. That is a prime duty of a parent. To put children's happiness and welfare first at certain times.

 

[AcrossthePond]

I remember reading that King George referred to himself, Queen Elizabeth, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as "us four." And I've often thought that's how Felipe and Letizia must view themselves and the girls. They seem like a happy little family, and it hasn't been easy for them from the very beginning, from press coverage to family shenanigans. I don't see how anyone could shine in that environment, but I believe Letiza and Felipe both shine when they look at one another and most of all when they're around the girls, as we saw last week.