Queen Sofia of Spain

Queen Sofía (Sophia Margarita Victoria Frederika), born Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark is the Queen Consort of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. Download high resolution version (480x639, 60 KB)Sofía de Grecia y Hannover / Queen Sofía of Spain Source: Ricardo Stuckert/ABr. ... Download high resolution version (480x639, 60 KB)Sofía de Grecia y Hannover / Queen Sofía of Spain Source: Ricardo Stuckert/ABr. ... King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; pron. ...

Early life and family

She was born in Athens, Greece on November 2, 1938, the eldest child of the King of the Hellenes, Paul I (1901-1964) and his wife, Princess Frederika of Hannover (1917-1981). She belongs to one of the oldest European royal families: both her parents were descendants of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and despite her country of birth, the family tree on both sides is almost exclusively German and Danish in origin. The Greek royal house is a cadet branch of the Danish royal family of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, which is itself a branch of the House of Oldenburg. Her brother is Constantine II of Greece, King of The Hellenes and her sister is Princess Irene of Greece. Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world, named after goddess Athena. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... This is a list of the Kings of Greece, formally known by the title of King of the Hellenes House of Wittelsbach Otto (1832-1862) House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg George I (1863 - 1913) Constantine I (1913 - 1917) first time Alexander (1917 - 1920) Constantine I (1920 - 1922) second... Paul, King of the Hellenes (December 14, 1901 - March 6, 1964), was King of Greece from 1947 to 1964. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Frederika of Hanover, Frederika Luise Thyra Victoria Margarita Sophia Olga Cecilia Isabella Christa, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1917-1981 was Queen consort of the Hellenes (Greece) during the reign of her husband King Paul of Greece(1947-1964). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the eminent Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June, 1837, and Empress of India from 1 January, 1877, until her death in 1901. ... In noble families, the title of nobility is usually passed to the first-born son, although more recently it has often passed to the eldest offspring regardless of gender, e. ... The Danish Royal Family includes The Queen of Denmark and her family. ... Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (in Danish: Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Lyksborg (or Glücksborg)), from Glücksburg in northernmost Germany, is a line of the House of Oldenburg (Danish: Oldenborg), to which the royal houses of Denmark, Norway, and the former royal house of Greece belong. ... The House of Oldenburg is a North German noble family and one of Europes most influential Royal Houses. ... Constantine, formerly Constantine II, King of the Hellenes, and his wife Constantine of Greece, formerly Constantine II, King of the Hellenes (born June 2, 1940) was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. ... HRH Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark is the youngest child of King Paul of Greece and his wife Frederika of Hanover. ...

Princess Sofia spent her childhood in Egypt and South Africa during her family's exile from Greece during World War II. They returned to Greece in 1946. She finished her education at the prestigious Schloss Salem boarding school in Southern Germany, and then studied pediatrics, music, and archeology in Athens. She speaks Spanish, Greek, German, French, and English. She represented Greece in sailing at the 1960 Summer Olympics. The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the direct descendants of the current king, Juan Carlos. ... Image File history File links Escudo_de_España. ... Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; pron. ... Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias (Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y de Grecia; born January 30, 1968), is the third child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain. ... The Princess of Asturias (born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, on September 15, 1972 in Oviedo, Spain) is the wife of Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir apparent to the Spanish throne. ... The Infanta Leonor of Spain (Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz, in English: Eleanor), born 31 October 2005, in Madrid, is the first and only child of Felipe, the Prince of Asturias and his wife Princess Letizia, and thus second in the succession line to the... Her Royal Highness, Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de los Silos de Borbón y de Grecia de Marichalar), styled HRH The Infanta Elena (born December 20, 1963, in Madrid), is the eldest daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, and third in... Her Royal Highness, The Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia), styled HRH The Infanta Cristina (born June 13, 1965), is the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía. ... The Infanta Pilar,1 Duchess of Badajoz (Doña María del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignacia de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) (born July 30, 1936) is the eldest daughter of Juan de Borbon, Count of Barcelona and Maria Mercedes de Borb... The Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Hernani and Soria (Doña Margarita María de la Victoria Esperanza Jacoba Felicidad Perpetua de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) (born March 6, 1939), is the youngest daughter of Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona and Maria... EXILE is a 6-member Japanese pop music band. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Salem Castle Salem Castle Schule Schloss Salem (School of the Castle of Salem) is a boarding school in Salem, Southern Germany. ... Pediatric polysomnography patient Childrens Hospital (Saint Louis), 2006 Pediatrics (also spelled paediatrics) is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents (from newborn to age 18 or 19). ... Music is a form of expression in the medium of time using the structures of tones and silence. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Sailing at sunset Wooden sailing boat Sailing is the skillful art of controlling the motion of a sailing ship or smaller boat, across a body of water. ... The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, were held in 1960 in Rome, Italy. ...

Marriage and family

On May 14, 1962 she married Juan Carlos, Infante of Spain and the future King, whom she met on a cruise of the Greek islands in 1954. In doing so, she relinquished her rights to the throne of Greece and converted to Roman Catholicism from Greek Orthodoxy. The couple have three children: Infanta Elena born December 20, 1963, Infanta Cristina born June 13, 1965, and Prince Felipe born January 30, 1968. May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... This is a list of some of the 3000 islands of Greece: Chrysi Crete Dia Euboea Gavdos Koufonisi Ydra The Cyclades Amorgos Anafi Andros Antiparos Anydro Delos Donoussa Folegandros Gyaros Ios Irakleia Kea Keros Kimolos Kithnos Makronisos Milos Mykonos (Mikonos) Naxos Paros Pholegandros Santorini (also called Thira) Serifos Sifnos Sikinos... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ... Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the birth of the Church. ... Her Royal Highness, Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de los Silos de Borbón y de Grecia de Marichalar), styled HRH The Infanta Elena (born December 20, 1963, in Madrid), is the eldest daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, and third in... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Her Royal Highness, The Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia), styled HRH The Infanta Cristina (born June 13, 1965), is the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias (Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y de Grecia; born January 30, 1968), is the third child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The Queen has seven grandchildren: Their Excellencies Felipe Juan Froilán, Juan Valentín, Victoria Federica, Pablo Nicolás, Miguel and Irene, and Her Royal Highness Infanta Leonor de Todos los Santos, the only child of Prince Felipe and second in line to the Spanish throne. The Infanta Leonor of Spain (Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz, in English: Eleanor), born 31 October 2005, in Madrid, is the first and only child of Felipe, the Prince of Asturias and his wife Princess Letizia, and thus second in the succession line to the... Order of succession Monarchies   Belgium   Denmark   Ethiopia   Japan   Liechtenstein   Luxembourg   Monaco   Netherlands   Norway   Spain   Sweden   United Kingdom Presidencies   France   United States Spain uses the same system of (male-preference) primogeniture as the United Kingdom. ...

Ancestry

Through her parents, Sophia is a great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and is, through several lines, her husband's third cousin. Because of this, she is also related to all of the royal families of Europe. She is also a first cousin of Ernst August of Hannover. Through her great-grandfather George I of Greece, she is a second cousin to Charles, the Prince of Wales. Through Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria, she is a double third cousin to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. She is also a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the eminent Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June, 1837, and Empress of India from 1 January, 1877, until her death in 1901. ... HRH The Prince of Hanover Ernst August, Prince of Hanover (German: Prinz von Hannover, in English also known as Ernest Augustus of Hanover), styled His Royal Highness The Prince of Hanover; born 26 February 1954 in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany) is the eldest son of Ernest Augustus IV, Prince of... George I (December 24, 1845 – March 18, 1913) was King of the Hellenes (Greece) from 1863 to 1913. ... The Prince of Wales The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor) (born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Christian IX of Denmark (April 8, 1818 – January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 15, 1863 to January 29, 1906. ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... The Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) (born 10 June 1921, Greece) is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. ...

King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia with First Lady of the United States Laura Bush and President of the United States George W. Bush

President George W. Bush and Laura Bush meet with the King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain at the Kings palace Tuesday June 12, 2001 in Madrid, Spain. ... President George W. Bush and Laura Bush meet with the King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain at the Kings palace Tuesday June 12, 2001 in Madrid, Spain. ... Martha Washington, 1st First Lady of the United States Laura Bush, current First Lady of the United States (2001-present) First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. ... First Lady Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of U.S. President George W. Bush and is the current First Lady of the United States. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ...

Royal duties

Besides travelling with his husband within Spain and abroad, The Queen has her own agenda: she is the executive president of the Queen Sofía Foundation, which in 1993 sent funds for relief in Bosnia, and is the honorary president of the Royal Board on Education and Care of Handicapped Persons and the Foundation for Aid for Drug Addicts. She takes special interest in programs against drug addiction, travelling to conferences in both Spain and abroad. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is named after her, as is Reina Sofía Airport in Tenerife. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco Capital Sarajevo Largest city Sarajevo Official language(s) Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Government  â€¢ Presidency members Prime Minister Republic Sulejman Tihić1 (Bosniak) Borislav Paravac (Serb) Ivo Miro Jović (Croat) Adnan Terzic Independence  â€¢ Declared From Yugoslavia 5 April 1992 Area  â€¢ Total    â€¢ Water (%)   51,129 km² (124th) 19,741... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... The main entrance The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) is the official name Spains national museum of 20th century art (informally shortened to the Museo Reina Sofía, Queen Sofia Museum, or simply The Sofia). ... Reina Sofía Airport (IATA: TFS, ICAO: GCTS) is an international airport operated by Spanish firm Aena, located on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. ... Flag of Tenerife Tenerife (English also Teneriffe), a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. ...

She has been working closely with Dr. Muhammed Yunus on his Grameen Bank (or Bank "for the Poor"), which offers microcredits to women across the world. Her Majesty has travelled to Bangladesh, Mexico, Chile and Colombia to support the activities of the organization led by Yunus. Grameen Bank Building, Dhaka The Grameen Bank is a microcredit organization that started in Bangladesh, which makes small loans to the impoverished without requiring collateral. ...

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 and New York. An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum, not to be confused with an honors degree) is an academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... Plaza Mayor and city hall, Valladolid The unfinished cathedral and the Plaza de la Universidad, near the University of Valladolid The church of Santa María la Antigua, Valladolid Bridge of Spanish America, Valladolid Valladolid (The most probable origin of the term is Latin: VALLIS, Valley; and Celtic: TOLITUM, place... Map of the Cambridgeshire area (1904) The city of Cambridge is an old English university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Georgetown University is a private university in the United States. ... Évora is both a town and a district in eastern Portugal. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq. ...

Image File history File links Escudo_de_España. ... A style of office, or honorific, is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the political office itself. ... Look up majesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Majesty is an English word rooting in the Latin Maiestas, meaning literally, Greatness. ...

Titles from birth

Here is a list of titles Queen Sofia held from birth in chronological order :

• Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Greece and Hannover (1938-1962)
• Her Royal Highness Princess Sofía of Spain (1962-1975)
• Her Majesty The Queen of Spain (Since 1975)

Trivia

She is a pescetarian (a vegetarian who eats fish), which is a rather uncommon custom in Spain. She also does not watch bullfighting, in contrast with her husband, who is an aficionado. Pesco/pollo vegetarianism, pescetarianism, and semi-vegetarianism are neologisms coined to describe certain lifestyles of restricted diet. ... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... Spanish toreo, corrida de toros or tauromaquia; Portuguese corrida de touros or tauromaquia) is a blood sport that involves, most of the times, professional performers (matadores) who execute various formal moves with the goal of appearing graceful and confident, while masterful over the bull itself; these maneuvers are performed at... For an alternate meaning, see Fan (implement). ...

When she and King Juan Carlos I made their first official state visit to Puerto Rico in 1987, after taking a tour of the governor's mansion La Fortaleza, she was so left enchanted by the Rattan Living Room (known as Salon Ratán in Spanish), that the room officially was renamed in her honor and remains so to this very day (La Galeria de la Reina, or in English, The Queen's Gallery). [1] King Juan Carlos I His Majesty King Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón), styled HM The King (born January 5, 1938), is the reigning King of Spain. ... La Fortaleza (or The Fortress in English) is the current residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. ...

Genetics

As a matrilineal descendant of Princess Feodora of Leiningen, maternal half-sister of Victoria of the United Kingdom, she and all her female-line descendants are members of mitochondrial haplogroup H. Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones mothers lineage; it may also involve the inheritance of property or titles through the female line. ... Princess Feodora at about age 21 Princess Feodora of Leiningen (7 December 1807 -23 September 1872) was the only daughter of Karl, Prince of Leiningen (1763–1814) and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1786-1861). ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the eminent Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June, 1837, and Empress of India from 1 January, 1877, until her death in 1901. ... In cell biology, a mitochondrion is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes. ... A haplogroup is a large group of haplotypes, which are series of alleles at specific locations on the chromosome. ... Haplogroup H is a mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA) haplogroup. ...

External links

• Official website of the Spanish Royal Family
• Official website of the Queen Sofia Foundation