Easter Sunday is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important day in the Christian calendar.
Easter is also a day when families spend time together, first at church, then perhaps a lovely lunch. Unfortunately, a video of what many have described as a tense situation between Queen Sofia and her daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, has gone viral.
Shortly before the family would leave the church, they stopped to greet other people. Queen Sofia pulled her two granddaughters, Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofia toward her for a photograph. Queen Letizia walked in front of them to shake the hand of someone she knew. She turned around, said something, and pulled Leonor away. Queen Sofia tried to pull her two granddaughters toward her, but Leonor pushed her away as well.
King Juan Carlos, his gait unsteady even with the aid of a cane, was perplexed by the scene. King Felipe VI spoke to his wife and to his mother, perhaps trying to diffuse the situation.
Queen Sofia is a much loved Queen Consort. She has carried out her duties professionally and with elan. But, privately, she has suffered much heartache.
Her marriage in 1961 to Juan Carlos was carefully encouraged and arranged.
Sofia was the first queen consort since 1931 when King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia went into exile. Francisco Franco would bring back the monarchy on his own terms and he toyed, sometimes rather cruelly, with Juan Carlos and his father, Juan, the Count of Barcelona. In 1975, the Generalissimo died and Juan Carlos became king.
Sofia, the eldest child of King Paul I of the Hellenes and his wife, Frederica of Hannover, was perfectly suited to be a queen. She gave birth to three children, Elena (1963), Cristina (1965) and Felipe (1968), who was named as Prince of Asturias after his father became king.
For years the foreign press, notably the Germans and French, reported on rumors about Juan Carlos' infidelities. It took decades before the Spanish press summoned the courage to write about the king's mistresses.
One can only imagine and sympathize with Sofia's private and public humiliation. There have been unsubstantiated reports that Sofia had every intention of leaving her husband.
She stayed, as a wife, mother, grandmother. Her children, especially her son, were at the forefront of her life. Nothing -- not even Juan Carlos' behavior -- would detract her from her focus: preparing the Prince of the Asturias for the throne.
Felipe succeeded to the throne following the abdication of King Juan Carlos in June 2014.
Queen Sofia is devoted to her three children and her eight grandchildren. But she has been saddened by events in her children's lives. Infanta Elena's marriage ended in divorce and Infanta Cristina and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, were charged with tax fraud and corruption in the Noos Institute case. In early 2017, Cristina was acquitted of corruption charges but her husband was found guilty on several counts including fraud and tax evasion. He was sentenced to six years and three months in jail although arrangements are still being made for Urdangarin to be sent to prison.
The Queen has been supportive of Infanta Cristina and there have been reports in the Spanish media that she has been pushing Felipe to allow Cristina and her four children back into the family. She may have been acquitted of charges, but few people see Cristina as innocent in not knowing what her husband was doing. There is no doubt in my mind that Letizia (and Felipe) want to keep Cristina away from royal life. Neither she nor her older sister, Infanta Elena, have carried out official engagements since Felipe's succession. They remain members of the King's family, but are no longer members of the Royal Family.
This also happened when Juan Carlos came to the throne. His two sisters, Infanta Pilar and Infanta Margarita, were not included as members of the Royal Family, but were members of the King's family. Unlike the present king's sisters, Pilar and Margarita lost their succession rights when they married as they married under the old rules. Their children do not have dynastic rights.
Elena and Cristina and their children remain in line to the throne.
Sofia has lived in Spain for nearly 57 years, but none of her close friends are Spanish. She has never gotten close to members of Spain's aristocracy. Her two closest friends are her sister, Princess Irene, who lives in Madrid, and her cousin, Princess Tatiana Radziwill and her husband, Dr. Jean Henri Fruchaud. Tatiana is the daughter of the late Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark and Prince Dominik Radziwill.
Her family, especially her children, are everything to her.
The Queen certainly hoped that her son would make a grand royal marriage. Princess Tatiana of Liechtenstein moved to Madrid, ostensibly to study, but the real goal, according to the late Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, was to get to know Felipe. Maria Cristina, the younger daughter of King Alfonso XIII, confirmed this in a letter to me.
Other noblewomen, including Countess Caroline of Waldburg zu Wolfbegg und Waldsee, were also "pushed" toward Felipe, but he was having none of it. It is said that he wanted to marry Isabel Sartorius, the daughter of Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 4th Marquis de Mariño, and Isabel Zorraquín y de Corral. Isabel's parents were divorced and her mother married Peruvian politician Manuel de Ulloa.
Isabel joined her mother in Lima, but it was not a satisfying experience for mother or daughter. Ulloa, according to Isabel's autobiography, mistreated her mother and turned her into a cocaine addict. It was Isabel who sneaked out of the house to meet with her mother's dealers and purchase the cocaine.
Isabel's mother spent years in clinics, eventually being cured of her drug addiction. She divorced de Ulloa, who then married Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Isabel's father also remarried. His second wife was Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, who is Princess Tatiana's aunt.
Despite her noble birth, Isabel Sartorius was not considered suitable for Felipe. She would admit years later that she suffered from co-dependency issues that evolved from her concern for her mother and she underwent treatment for it, She has never married but in 1997, she gave birth to a daughter, Mencia, the result of her relationship with Javier de Soto y Fitzjames-Stuart, Count of Montalvo.
Felipe had several long-term relationships, before meeting Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a journalist, whose first marriage (a civil ceremony only) had ended in divorce.
Other girlfriends had not been accepted by his parents, and Letizia, well-educated, but a commoner, was no different. This time, however, Felipe put his foot down and made it clear to his parents that he loved Letizia and would marry her.
Juan Carlos was especially not pleased with Felipe's choice, but Sofia was determined to accept Letizia into the family. She would later acknowledge that she has little in common with Letizia. She also regrets that she does not get to see her granddaughters as often as she would like.
This was the first time in four years that King Juan Carlos attended the Easter mass with his family.
Leonor, 12, having a pre-teen mood, not only pushed her grandmother away. She also pushed her mother's hand, perhaps not wanting to smile for anyone.
Perhaps Queen Letizia thought it inappropriate to snap a photo inside the church before everyone gathered outside for a group photo.
Isabel joined her mother in Lima, but it was not a satisfying experience for mother or daughter. Ulloa, according to Isabel's autobiography, mistreated her mother and turned her into a cocaine addict. It was Isabel who sneaked out of the house to meet with her mother's dealers and purchase the cocaine.
Isabel's mother spent years in clinics, eventually being cured of her drug addiction. She divorced de Ulloa, who then married Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Isabel's father also remarried. His second wife was Princess Nora of Liechtenstein, who is Princess Tatiana's aunt.
Despite her noble birth, Isabel Sartorius was not considered suitable for Felipe. She would admit years later that she suffered from co-dependency issues that evolved from her concern for her mother and she underwent treatment for it, She has never married but in 1997, she gave birth to a daughter, Mencia, the result of her relationship with Javier de Soto y Fitzjames-Stuart, Count of Montalvo.
Other girlfriends had not been accepted by his parents, and Letizia, well-educated, but a commoner, was no different. This time, however, Felipe put his foot down and made it clear to his parents that he loved Letizia and would marry her.
Juan Carlos was especially not pleased with Felipe's choice, but Sofia was determined to accept Letizia into the family. She would later acknowledge that she has little in common with Letizia. She also regrets that she does not get to see her granddaughters as often as she would like.
This was the first time in four years that King Juan Carlos attended the Easter mass with his family.
Leonor, 12, having a pre-teen mood, not only pushed her grandmother away. She also pushed her mother's hand, perhaps not wanting to smile for anyone.
Perhaps Queen Letizia thought it inappropriate to snap a photo inside the church before everyone gathered outside for a group photo.
https://look.okdiario.com/videos/2018/04/03/letizia-reina-sofia-enfrentamiento-393318
http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-reinas-letizia-y-dona-sofia-protagonistas-misa-resurreccion-palma-201804032215_video.html
http://videos.elmundo.es/v/0_uhcw4wiq-el-rifirrafe-entre-la-reina-letizia-y-dona-sofia-que-obliga-al-rey-a-intervenir?uetv_pl=actualidad&count=1
http://www.abc.es/espana/abci-reinas-letizia-y-dona-sofia-protagonistas-misa-resurreccion-palma-201804032215_video.html
http://videos.elmundo.es/v/0_uhcw4wiq-el-rifirrafe-entre-la-reina-letizia-y-dona-sofia-que-obliga-al-rey-a-intervenir?uetv_pl=actualidad&count=1
Crown Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, the wife of Crown Prince Pavlos, who is Felipe's first cousin, got into a heated discussion on Twitter. In response to a comment made by a Spanish journalist, Marie Chantal said "No grandmother deserves that type of treatment! Wow, she’s shown her true colours."
Queen Sofia and Pavlos' father, King Constantine II, are siblings. The Queen remains close to her Greek family. Although Felipe and Pavlos were roommates at Georgetown University in the mid-1990s, they don't see each other as often as before. Felipe did attend Pavlos' 50th birthday party last July but came without Letizia.
Marie Chantal, whose family is worth billions, and Letizia don't have a lot in common, apart from their marriages to first cousins. They do not move in the same social circles.
The exchange of comments is telling about how Marie Chantal thinks about her husband's cousin's wife.
The video has evoked a torrent of criticism, especially toward Letizia. Watch the video carefully. Queen Sofia is not happy that she missed out on a photo opp with her granddaughters, but Letizia is their mother, and she has every right to decide when it is appropriate or not to have a photo taken.
Queen Letizia has spoken of her respect and admiration for her mother-in-law and they have carried out engagements together. She is happily married. She has a husband who loves her and who is a devoted father to their two daughters.
Look also at Leonor, who may have been having a mini-meltdown in church. Grandma wants a photo but Mom has something else on her mind.
In the second link, the royal family gathers for another family snap. Queen Sofia gives Leonor a kiss. Letizia appears to be wiping the kiss away. She does the same thing to Infanta Sofia. More likely, she was wiping away the lipstick so it would not appear in the photos.
There are probably several different versions of what actually happened on Easter Sunday.
The tension was certainly heady and palpable. Letizia was being a mom, trying to make sure her daughters were behaving. Queen Sofia's face showed the pain and sadness of being rebuffed, but within minutes, everyone was once again smiling before the cameras,
We don't know the aftermath after everyone returned to the Marivent Palace. We do not know if the two queens talked about the incident or not.
We also do not need to know what actually happened.
Thanks for the explanation. Sad for all concerned. Knowing a 12 year old girl, I get the mercurial. What I don't get is the way the child treated her grandmother. Nor do I understand why Letiza appeared to side with her daughter rather than her mother-in-law in public.
ReplyDeleteHaving to live ones life with such constant attention is a burden few would be happy with.
ReplyDeleteThere has been rumors before about the bad relationships between Queen Letizia and her in-laws, apparently the relationship is bad with all of them (Felipe's parents, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, all of them). Following another rumor, Queen Letizia has forbidden Queen Sofia to visit or communicate with Leonor and Sofia, Queen Sofia just see the girls on official engagements.
ReplyDeleteThere are other pics outside the cathedral. After the second time Queen Sofia tries for a photo, Juan Carlos, Felipe, and herself talk together to arrange for a group photo, Letizia and the Infanta Sofia are in another group laughing together (body language between them is horrible, they look as if they were laughing about the grandmother), and Leonor looks lost.
So sad they cannot behave just for a meeting once a year.
This behaviour does not bode well for the future of the Spanish Royal Family.
ReplyDeleteThat’s sad. Queen Sofia did not deserved it
ReplyDeleteSpain has far more serious issue. Moreover, Letizia has the right to decide when her children will be photographed
ReplyDeleteSpain has far more serious issue. Moreover, Letizia has the right to decide when her children will be photographed
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Marlene, but Spain specially after the 1982 military failed coup is a democratic state thanks to King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Today Queen Letizia is a Queen thanks to the knowledge and experience of her in-laws and in every family a little bit of respect for the elderly does not hurt. Of course Letizia has the right to decide when and where her kids should take photos but you never engage in a discussion in public, specially in a church on a important date (in Spain is almost more important than Christmas). Keep your problems at home, don’t bring them to the street. She only gave more reasons for the monarchists hate her, even the general population since Queen Sofia is the most popular royal member.
ReplyDeleteEaster is the most important day in the Christian calendar .. but I expect most Spaniards were not at church ..however, we have note the reaction if Leonor to both women.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, whenever you see that someone does not get along with any of their in-laws at all, then it is usually the fault of this someone who has become a divisive force in the family. If Marie-Chantal repeatedly and publicly voiced her discomfort with Letizia, then this is quite telling. To me, Letizia is the archetypical woman who wishes to marry into a family, is all sweet and nice, and once she has accomplished that, she becomes divisive and mistreats her in-laws. The Spanish Royal Family was closely-knit. After Letizia joined, problems began. And yes, they have had problems with Urdangarin and his adoring wife, but the problems Letizia began in my opinion predate the scandal.
ReplyDeleteLast, but not least, she may be a mom, but she is also Queen of Spain and owes respect to her predecessor. I could accept your argument, Marlene, that she had issues about who photographs her daughters, if Queen Sofia had come to her house and taken her daughters for a photo session without Letizia's consent. However, these people were in Church, on Easter, and in public, having already consented to photographs. The video clearly shows that Letizia had a problem with Queen Sofia specifically, not with the photographers.
I would not say the Spanish royal family was a close knit family. I corresponded with for many years with Infanta Maria Cristina. Sofia was so very much alone in Spain. She never made friends in Spain -- she stuck close to Irene and Tatiana. The Hanovers themselves were not close - Frederika has issues with her mother as did her brother (who was a real asshat. He got a woman pregnant and could not marry her, so ended marrying Ortrud but not a happy marriage.) Juan Carlos treated Sofia badly for years ...he was unfaithful from the start, very much like his grandfather. She had her kids - and her brother but he too had problems .. the lost of his throne, exile, he strayed numerous time, but he and Anne Marie are closer now ... Sofia nearly took the kids and bolted but she had nowhere to go. and no real friends to confide in. Irene never married but she had a long term relationship with a married man, an aide to King Constantine. Sofia was not happy about her daughters' marriages, but was furious with how Cristina was treated. yet, Cristina knew what her husband was doing. They wanted Felipe to marry well and brought princesses to meet him. His first real love was Isabel Sartorious .. and when he could not marry her, he decided that he would make the decision, not his parents. Sofia is so alienated ... she barely sees her husband. She spends time with her sister. and rarely sees her granddaughters. Felipe has not sided with her.
ReplyDelete