Spanish Royal Birthdays:HRH The Infanta Lenor & HM Queen Sofia


Infanta Lenor de Todos los Santos de Borbón Ortiz

She was born the eldest of two daughters of Prince Felipe of Austrias & Letizia, Princess of Austrias on 31 October 2005. Her godparents were her paternal grandparents,  King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia. 

According to the 1978 Spanish Constitution, if her parents fail to produce a male heir, upon her father's succession as King of Spain, she will become Princess of Austrias and later Queen of Spain. She has one younger sister, Infanta Sofia.

She began her education among the children of the Royal Guard at the Palace of El Pardo in 2007. She began attending Santa Maria de los Rosales, Arvaca in 2008, where she is presently in her 4th year at the school.

Through her grandparents, she is related to the British (through Queen Victoria's youngest daughter Princess Beatrice. Infanta Sofia is Beatrice's greatx4 granddaughter), Greek (her grandmother is King Constantine's sister), Denmark (she is a great x6 granddaughter of Christian XI on her grandmother's side) monarchies.

As a member of the Spanish royal family, she takes part in a range of public activities. In August 2011, she appeared with other members of the royal family on the yacht "Somni" during the 30th Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre Sailing Cup in Palma de Mallorca {Photos}. She took part in World Youth Day celebrations at the Zarzuela Palace in August 2011 with Pope Benedict XVI in attendance {Photos}. She has also attended the traditional Easter Mass in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012

Queen Sofia

She was born Princess Sophia of Greece & Denmark in Athens, Greece, she was the eldest daughter of King Paul and Queen Federica of the Hellenes on 2 November 1938. She is the elder sister of King Constantine & Princess Irene. One of her godparents was Queen Elizabeth (who was then Princess Elizabeth of York).

She spent part of her childhood in Egypt and South Africa because her family was forced into exile during the Second World War. She returned to her homeland in 1946, completed her secondary education in the Schloss Salem boarding school in Germany and then returned to Greece where she specialized in childcare, music and archaeology. She was a reserve member of the Greek sailing team at the Olympic Games held in Rome in 1960.

On 14 May 1962, she married Infante Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon, in Athens. They have three children: 
They have eight grandchildren: 
  • Infanta Leonor and Sofía de Borbón Ortiz(the daughters of the Prince and the Princess of Asturias)
  • Don Felipe and Doña Victoria de Marichalar y de Borbón (the children of the Infanta Elena and Jaime de Marichalar)
  • Juan, Pablo, Miguel and Irene Urdangarin y de Borbón (the children of the Infanta Cristina and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca)
In addition to her official and institutional engagements, the Queen devotes much of her time to social and welfare activities. She is the Executive President of the Queen Sofia Foundation. She is also the Honorary President of the Foundation for Aid for Drug Users and of the Royal Trust for the Handicapped, as well as of various cultural and musical institutions, including the Queen Sofia Higher School of Music.
She also participates in a number of international projects for the promotion of rural women and for the development of micro-credits for the disadvantaged.

The Queen is an Honorary Member of the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and of the Royal Academy of History. She has received Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Rosario (Bogota), Valladolid, Cambridge, Oxford, Georgetown, Evora, New York and Seisen (Tokyo).

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