Queen Sofía of Spain
Her maternal grandmother, Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, wrote in her 1965 memoir: "I have always had a particular fondness for her, and esteemed her modesty, understanding and goodness coupled with her candid realism touches with a fine sense of humour.'"[3] As her family was forced into exile during the Second World War, she spent part of her childhood in Egypt, where she took her early education in El Nasr Girls' College in Alexandria, and South Africa, where her sister Irene was born.She finished her education at the prestigious Schloss Salem boarding school in Southern Germany, and then studied childcare, music and archeology in Athens.Queen Sofía has also been a strong supporter of Somaly Mam's Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire, an NGO combatting child prostitution and slavery in Cambodia.She criticized the military intervention in Afghanistan, where Spanish troops were taking part at the time, defended religious education in schools, and expressed her conviction that gender violence publicity[clarification needed] would encourage new cases to occur.[15][16][17] In May 2012, Sofía was reportedly refused permission to attend the celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II by the Spanish government, citing tensions over fishing rights at Gibraltar.She inspected several development projects around the former Spanish colony that her country's government is funding via the Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID).[21] Following her husband's abdication as King in 2014, Sofía has focused on her sponsoring activities,[22] spending her time between La Zarzuela and, in the summer months, the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca.
Infanta Sofía of SpainPrincess Sophie of Greece and Denmark Queen Sophia of GreeceQueen consort of SpainEnthronementTatoi PalaceAthensGreeceJuan Carlos IInfanta Elena, Duchess of LugoInfanta CristinaFelipe VIGlücksburgBourbonPaul of GreeceFrederica of HanoverCatholic ChurchGreek OrthodoxSpanish royal familyThe KingThe QueenThe Princess of AsturiasInfanta SofíaKing Juan Carlos IThe Duchess of LugoDon FelipeDoña VictoriaDuchess of BadajozThe Duchess of Soria and HernaniThe Duke of Soria and HernaniThe Dowager Duchess of CalabriaGreek royal familyThe Crown PrinceThe Crown PrincessPrince Constantine-AlexiosPrince Achileas-AndreasPrince Odysseas-KimonPrince Aristides-StavrosPrincess Maria-OlympiaQueen Anne-MariePrincess Alexia, Mrs. MoralesPrince NikolaosPrincess Theodora, Mrs. KumarPrince PhilipposPrincess NinaPrincess IreneMarina KarellaPrincess Alexandra, Mrs. MirzayantzThe Duchess of AostaQueen of Spainhis abdicationQueen FredericaJuan Carlos abdicatedAcharnesKing PaulSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-GlücksburgKing Constantine IIPrincess Victoria Louise of Prussiaher fatherMy daughterSecond World WarEl Nasr Girls' CollegeAlexandriaSchloss Salem boarding schoolFitzwilliam College, CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge1960 Summer OlympicsWedding of Prince Juan Carlos and Princess SophiacruiseweddingDuke of KentYork MinsterCathedral of Saint DionysiusThe HagueGreek OrthodoxyCatholicismGreek military coupFrancisco FrancoCristinaFelipeShabbat serviceBeth Yaacov synagogue in MadridQueen Sofía Spanish InstituteMuseo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina SofíaReina Sofía AirportTenerifeSan Fernando Royal Academy of Fine ArtsSpanish Royal Academy of HistoryRosarioBogotáValladolidCambridgeOxfordGeorgetownSt. Mary's UniversityNew YorkUnicefDr. Muhammad YunusGrameen BankBangladeshColombiaEl SalvadorMexicoSomaly Mamchild prostitutionPrince of Asturias Award for International CooperationPilar Urbanoabortioneuthanasiasame-sex marriageSocialistsPeople's PartyDiamond Jubilee of Elizabeth IIGibraltarNational LibraryNational MuseumPontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippinesstate dinnerMalacañan PalacePresidentBenigno Aquino IIISpanish languageher husband's abdicationLa ZarzuelaMarivent PalacePalma de Mallorca