This is Sofía, the second daughter of the Spanish king

Meet Sofía, the second daughter of the King of Spain.

Sofía of Bourbon is Infanta of Spain. That means she is second in the succession line to the throne of Spain. Her elder sister, Leonor, is the princess of Asturias and will reign some day.

If everything goes to plan, the second daughter of the monarchs Philip and Letizia will not rule, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an important role in the Spanish royal house as well as in her personal sphere, supporting her sister.

Sofía was born on April 29, 2007 in the Ruber International Hospital, Madrid. Leonor had been born there two years prior.

She was baptized on July 17 in Zarzuela Palace and her godparents were Prince Konstantin-Assen of Bulgaria and her maternal grandmother, Paloma Rocasolano.

In the same way as her sister’s Leonor, the Infanta Sofía was also presented before the Virgin of Atocha. Considered the protector of Spanish royalty, it’s tradition to present the ‘Infantes’ before the holy figure shortly after they are born.

According to sources close to the Spanish Royal House, unlike her sister Leonor who maybe is pressured by her position and is a bit more introverted, Sofía is more extroverted.

In this photo we can see her in her first day of school, entering the Santa María de los Rosales school (Aravaca, Madrid), where her father, King Philip, and her sister, Princess Leonor, studied as well.

For being one of the daughters of the King of Spain, Sofía has the title of Infanta of Spain and treatment as Royal Highness.

It is well-known that the Queen Letizia is really involved in the education of her daughters and always demonstrates her love and affection for them.

Letizia has always made sure that her daughters grow happy and live as normally as possible given the exceptional circumstances of their position.

Sofía was named in honor of her grandmother, the queen emeritus Sofía of Greece.

In the photo, during her first summer in Palma de Mallorca, where the Spanish monarchs spend most of their vacation in the Marivent Palace.

Despite being the Infanta - and just like any other kid her age could have done- Sofia couldn’t resist putting her hand inside the trophy won by the Spanish Football Team in the European Championship of 2012.

People close to them state that the relationship between Letizia, Leonor and Sofia is really close and special, something we have been able to notice in every of their public appearances.

Despite having very different personalities, Sofía and Leonor complement each other perfectly and get along wonderfully.

While Leonor is more serious and introverted, Sofía is very jokey. In fact, as chroniclers close to the Spanish Royal House describe, she loves to laugh and tell jokes.

In the Amazon documentary, ‘Leonor. The future of a new monarchy’, the journalist Ascensión Vázquez explains that the sisters are as close as two coats of paint.

In fact, as the journalist relates in said documentary, after a long time apart, as short as it may be, they always meet again with a long embrace.

In the image we can see Sofía in the abdication of her grandfather, the king emeritus Juan Carlos I, along with the Infanta Elena and her great-aunts, the Infanta Pilar and the Infanta Margarita de Borbón. Three generations of Infantas.

Here, on the day of the coronation of her father, King Philip VI, waving amusingly from the balcony of the Royal Palace of Madrid.

In the picture, surrounded by her parents and grandparents on the day of her First Communion celebrated in the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Aravaca with the rest of her classmates. Sofía wore the school uniform to the event.

Regarding her style, we can see that Sofía has risked a little bit more than her sister on her hair and looks.

Little by little, the young Infanta has become a teenager that is even taller than her mother and oldest sister.

Although the monarchs have tried not to expose their daughters to the media too soon, some details of their private world have slipped out, for example, that both sisters are huge classical ballet lovers.

They also share other interests such as riding, skiing or reading which surely were passed on by her mother, Queen Letizia.

Even though it has been Leonor, as heiress to the throne, the one gaining more responsibilities, Sofía has, slowly but surely, started being more present in public life with a role of her own.

By her behavior in public appearances, we can see that Sofía seems to be more confident with herself.

The first words we were able to hear from her in public were during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she read some lines from ‘Don Quixote’ during International Book Day, in April 2020.

That same year, during their summer vacation in Majorca, we could see her with a bandage in one of her legs and using a crutch.

It seems like, according to Spanish media, the Infanta fell at the Marivent Palace and got five stitches before needing a bandage for her leg.

Until now, Letizia was concerned about the two girls receiving the same education, even if Sofía doesn’t need to assume the same responsibilities as Leonor.

2021 was the last year that the two sisters will study together in the Santa María de los Rosales school center.

In August 2021, both sisters had to go their separate ways: Leonor was about to start her International High School Diploma in a boarding school in Wales (the Atlantic College). We could see them saying goodbye in Madrid airport.

Just before saying goodbye, both sisters attended their first public act on their own. It was for the event ‘A tree for Europe’, in which, to fight against climate change, 35 young people from different nationalities within the European Union planted different trees in the Madrid town of Hayedo de Montejo de la Sierra.

Increasingly, Sofía has become a style example that is being followed by different international media that compare her to her mother, Queen Letizia.

In the acts for the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards 2021, Sofía surprised everyone with a short dress with puffy sleeves from the Spanish brand High Spirits. She was also noticed by her hairstyle: a very millennial updo consisting of a half bun. A choice that, according to every stylistic expert, revealed a strong personality.

If we compare Sofía’s style with her sister’s, it may seem that Sofía's is a bit riskier and relaxed.

A perfect example of her style was her look in the Princess of Asturias Awards 2021, where she chose a ballerina inspired look based on a pink tulle skirt from the brand Psophía.

Although, sometimes, we are able to see the three of them perfectly matching.

In the last couple of years, Leonor and Sofía have gained more importance. For example, in the Christmas greetings 2020, they appeared without their parents.

Since her sister left for Wales, Sofía has been attracting more attention. Maybe in two years, she will follow Leonor’s same steps and study in the same boarding school.

What’s clear is that the role of the Infanta Sofía is going to be key in the Spanish Royal House during the preparation - as well as the (hypothetical) future ruling - of her sister Leonor.