During a public function in Madrid on Friday, Queen Sofia of Spain experienced a surge of emotion. The 84-year-old mother of King Felipe was moved to tears while delivering a eulogy in honor of Emilio Lora-Tamayo, her former university mentor and a long-standing confidant.
Lora-Tamayo, a physicist, was bestowed with the title of honorary rector of Camilo Jose Cela University during the ceremony.
Queen Sofia of Spain’s heartfelt display came just days before her granddaughter, Princess Leonor, was scheduled to have her inaugural swearing-in ceremony at Congress to mark her 18th birthday, which falls on Tuesday.
Regrettably, the former queen will reportedly be absent from the momentous event at the Cortes Generals.
Sofia’s estranged spouse, Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I, will also be conspicuously missing from the occasion. Concerns have arisen that his presence may overshadow his granddaughter’s significant milestone.
In 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favor of his son, Felipe. Since 2020, he has resided in voluntary exile in Abu Dhabi due to a series of scandals.
Princess Leonor will have the support of her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, along with her younger sibling, Infanta Sofia, aged 16, on her special day.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, the Spanish royal family will convene at the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is there that Leonor will be presented with the prestigious necklace of the Order of Charles III, a piece created by Carlos III in 1771. This necklace symbolizes that Princess Leonor will ultimately ascend to the throne.
Juan Carlos I and Sofia are expected to reunite with the royal family for a private luncheon following the ceremony.
Presently, Princess Leonor is undergoing military instruction in Zaragoza, while Infanta Sofia is diligently pursuing her International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales.
The regal siblings recently accompanied their parents on a series of official engagements in the principality of Asturias in the northwestern region of Spain just last week.
In addition, Queen Sofia was in attendance alongside her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters at the annual Princess of Asturias awards ceremony, during which Leonor delivered a poignant speech.
If all unfolds as anticipated, and Leonor ascends to the throne, she will be Spain’s first reigning queen since her fourth great-grandmother, Isabella II, who held sway from 1833 to 1868.
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