This April 29th is not just any day for the Spanish royal family. Infanta Sofia came of age, although this time without public celebrations or big official acts.
Unlike her sister Leonor, who on her birthday swore the Constitution in Congress, Sofia spent the day in Wales, finishing her final year of high school at UWC Atlantic College.
Infanta Sofia’s Birthday Portraits
To mark the moment, the Royal House shared some new portraits of the infanta.
In the photos, Sofia appears smiling, dressed in a light blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves and navy blue pants. A simple and relaxed look that matched perfectly with the gardens of Zarzuela in the middle of spring.
Born in Madrid on April 29, 2007, Sofía de Todos los Santos Borbón y Ortiz is the second daughter of the King and Queen and second in the line of succession to the throne.
Although her older sister has already started her military training, Sofia’s path will be different.
For now, Zarzuela is keeping several university options open for her, but none related to the Army.
Sofia has grown up accompanying her parents in numerous official acts, although she has also had moments of her own prominence.
Her first solo institutional act came in December 2024, when she presented the prizes for a photography contest in the Royal Collections Gallery.
It was a small step that hinted that her role within the royal family, although more discreet, is still important.
In fact, King Felipe himself stressed last year that the monarchy does not only rely on the figure of Leonor. As he said then, his sister Sofia also has to “help a lot” in the future of the institution.
Sofia’s 18th birthday does not have the symbolic weight of that of the Princess of Asturias, but it does mark the end of a stage for the Infanta.