For Doña Sofía, the Crown and the King come first. Whatever he needs and when he needs it, but he also continues with his own projects and always has something on the agenda. Ten years have passed since she stopped being the Queen of Spainbut his work and his commitment to the institution remain the same as the first day, when everything had to be done and the future was an enigma. Felipe VI’s mother reaches 86 years old unstoppable, just like her plans, just like her agenda. There is no time to waste, so this November 2, after a family celebration at home – his official residence since 1963 is the Zarzuela Palace – and with his family, he will take a plane to New York, where the headquarters are located. of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institutee, because they are also celebrating and for her duty comes above all.
© Getty ImagesQueen Sofía sticks to her schedule even if it coincides with her birthday. His presence has been requested in the Big Apple within the framework of the 70th anniversary of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institutethe non-profit corporation that was founded in 1954 by a group of American Hispanophiles who sought to stimulate interest in the art, culture, customs, language, literature and history of Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. It was in 2003 when Queen Sofia accepted the unanimous request of the Board of Directors to change the name of the institute in her honor, in recognition of her unwavering support for the mission and since then she has dedicated herself body and soul to it. On this occasion, Felipe VI’s mother travels to deliver the Sophia Award to Excellence to Gustavo Dudamel, Venezuelan musician, composer, conductor. A recognition that in previous years has been collected by the couple formed by the musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the cook José Andrés, the historian Carmen Iglesias and the businessman Carlos Slim, among others.
© Europa Press2024 has been an intense year for Queen Sofía: with a scare in the middle, which caused a hospital admission last April in iron health, and very painful personal losses, like those of his two nephews, Fernando and Juan Gómez-Acebowho died too young, and that of his cousin Miguel de Grecia. However, life goes on, with sadness, joy and often a combination of both. 86 years is just a number and for Queen Sofía it is a new opportunity to continue working, maintain the enthusiasm and continue with the support she provides, among others, to the Spanish Federation of Food Banks or to projects related to culture or environmental protection. Without forgetting the last emergency intervention he made to provide funds for the humanitarian aid required in the Middle East.
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© House of HM the KingIn recent months, Queen Sofía has had more of an institutional agenda than ever in the last decade, demonstrating that the institution needs her; trips, tributes, private commitments, weddings, birthdays… And a lot of work at the Reina Sofía Foundation, which is on its way to half a century and better than ever, with important results. Especially in the area of neurological diseases, which led to Doña Sofía a few weeks ago in Lisbon to be at the conference that brought together the best researchers worldwide on this subject at the Champalimaud Foundation. The trip to Portugal was just another work trip in a summer in which he interrupted his traditional stay in Mallorca, where he also has an official agenda, to travel to Paris to support Spanish athletes during the Olympic Games. In addition, Queen Sofia went to family appointments and very special meetings, such as the wedding of his niece, Theodora of Greece, in Athens, a trip that he made in the company of his daughters, the Infantas Elena and Cristina, also his sister, Princess Irene, to whom he dedicates all kinds of attention at a delicate moment, and his grandchildren Juan, Miguel and Irene Urdangarin.
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© House of HM the King“For her it is a magnificent and very special moment,” her closest circle tells us. She feels more loved and supported than ever by the Spanish people, she is very grateful that her legacy and role are recognized and she has said that she wants to end her life “with her boots on.” There is no other way for a woman who was born in a totally unusual position. Daughter, niece, sister, wife and mother of kings and grandmother of a future queen, this last role makes her especially excited, perhaps because Princess Leonor is the future, perhaps because she will be the first woman of her dynasty to become head of the State or simply because he has been able to see first-hand that has come of age fully committing to her role as heir and without sparing efforts to do so. King Felipe and Queen Letizia have prepared her for this in an exceptional way and in her grandmother, Queen Sofía, she has the example that it is a commitment without office hours and also attending to commitments that coincide with anniversary days.