Queen Sofía of Spain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sofía |
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Sofía in 2009
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| Queen consort of Spain | |||||
| Tenure | 22 November 1975 – 19 June 2014 | ||||
| Enthronement | 27 November 1975 | ||||
| Born | Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark 2 November 1938 Tatoi Palace, Athens, Greece |
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| House | Glücksburg (by birth) Bourbon (by marriage) |
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| Father | Paul of Greece | ||||
| Mother | Frederica of Hanover | ||||
| Religion | Catholic Church prev. Greek Orthodox |
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Doña Sofía (born Sophia Margaret Victoria Frederica of Greece and Denmark on 2 November 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family. She was the Queen of Spain from 1975 to 2014. She became queen when her husband, King Juan Carlos I, took the throne.
Sofía is the oldest child of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. She married Juan Carlos in 1962. He was then known as Infante Juan Carlos of Spain. King Juan Carlos I gave up his throne in 2014. Their son, Felipe VI, became the new king.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born on November 2, 1938. Her birthplace was Tatoi Palace in Acharnes, Athens, Greece. She is the first child of King Paul and Queen Frederica. Sofía belongs to the Greek part of the House of Glücksburg family. Her brother is King Constantine II. Her sister is Princess Irene.
Sophia spent some of her childhood in Egypt. She went to school there at El Nasr Girls' College in Alexandria. During World War II, her family lived in South Africa. They were in exile from Greece. They returned to Greece in 1946.
She finished her studies at Schule Schloss Salem, a boarding school in Germany. Later, she studied childcare, music, and archeology in Athens. She also studied at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. She was a reserve member of Greece's sailing team. This team won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Her brother Constantine was also on the team.
Marriage and Family Life
Sofía met her cousin, Juan Carlos of Spain, in 1954. They were on a cruise in the Greek Islands. They met again at a wedding in England in 1961. Sofía and Juan Carlos married on May 14, 1962. Their wedding took place in Athens at the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Dionysius.
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Sofía changed her religion from Greek Orthodoxy to Catholicism. This made her more accepted in Catholic Spain. By doing this, she gave up her right to the Greek throne.
Sofía was visiting her brother, King Constantine II, in Greece in 1967. A military coup happened while she was there. She did not visit Greece again until 1998. The only exception was for her mother's funeral in 1981.
In 1969, Francisco Franco, Spain's leader, named Juan Carlos as his successor. Juan Carlos became king in 1975 after Franco died. The new King Juan Carlos and his family moved back to the Zarzuela Palace.
Sofía and Juan Carlos have three children:
Life as Queen Consort
As Queen, Sofía joined her husband on many official trips. She also had her own duties. In June 1976, she visited the Beth Yaacov synagogue in Madrid. This was her first public event as Queen. It was also the first time a Spanish royal visited a Jewish place of worship in modern history.
Sofía is the head of the Queen Sofía Foundation. This foundation sent money to help people in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993. She is also the honorary president of the Royal Board on Education and Care of Handicapped Persons of Spain. Since 2003, she has been the patroness of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute.
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is a famous museum named after her. The Reina Sofía Airport in Tenerife is also named in her honor.
Sofía is an honorary member of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She is also an honorary member of the Spanish Royal Academy of History. She has received special degrees from many universities. These include universities in Bogotá, Valladolid, Cambridge, Oxford, and New York.
Since 1971, Sofía has been the honorary president of the Spanish Unicef Committee. She has worked closely with Dr. Muhammad Yunus. He created the Grameen Bank, which gives small loans to women around the world. Queen Sofía has traveled to many countries to support this work. These countries include Bangladesh, Chile, and Mexico.
In May 2012, Sofía was not allowed to attend the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II celebrations. The Spanish government did not give permission. This was due to disagreements over fishing rights near Gibraltar.
In July 2012, Sofía visited the Philippines for the fourth time. She looked at projects funded by Spain's government. These projects were in areas like the National Library and the National Museum. She also met with Spanish people living in the Philippines. She thanked the president for supporting the Spanish language in schools.
Life as Queen Mother
In 2014, her husband gave up his role as King. After this, Sofía focused on her charity work. She spends her time between La Zarzuela palace and the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca. She often attends events with her son, King Felipe VI, and his family.
See Also
In Spanish: Sofía de Grecia para niños
- Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark - This article lists other European royals who are related to Queen Sofía.
- Joyas de pasar
Images for kids
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Queen Sofía's royal symbol
