Two days, two cities, two processions. Queen Sofia and her daughters, Infantas Elena and Cristina, experienced a very intense Holy Week in the Region of Murcia, as evidenced by the photos they shared.
On Holy Thursday, they were in Cartagena for the Procession of Silence and the Most Holy Christ of the Miners, one of the city’s most solemn processions, organized by the California Confraternity. The mayor of the city welcomed them in Plaza del Rey and accompanied them throughout their visit, which included a walk through the historic center, a stop at the Cofradía’s headquarters, and signing the Book of Honor.
The most eagerly awaited moment came at dusk, when, from the balconies of the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País, they watched the procession depart, with the shops turning off their lights as it passed and the silence broken only by the sound of the mazo.
What happened in Murcia on Good Friday
The next day, Good Friday, the three of them went to the historic center of Murcia to watch the procession of the Confraternity of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth, known as the Salzillos procession. From the grandstand in Plaza Cardenal Belluga, they experienced a morning that began formally and became increasingly intimate.
Before taking their seats, they visited the Salzillo Museum, where Sofia asked about the history and meaning of each Baroque sculpture by the artist Francisco Salzillo. Once in the box, Bishop José Manuel Lorca Planes handed her a printed program of the procession, and they chatted about the details of the parade while she waved to the audience, who were watching every single thing.
Afterward, the main topic of conversation was what happened when the youngest members of the confraternity began their procession. Several children dressed as Nazarenes approached the box to give the queen sweets and typical souvenirs from the procession, and in just a few minutes, her hands were full of candies, monas con huevo (traditional pastries with eggs), beans, rosaries, and holy pictures.
Her escorts had to find bags for her to store it all. Shortly afterward, a Nazarene father approached with his baby, who was dressed in a tiny purple tunic. The queen asked for the baby to be brought to her and held him on her lap for a few moments.
Infanta Cristina took a photo of him with her cell phone. For her part, Elena also took out her phone to record the effort of the bearers as they turned one of the heaviest floats in front of the grandstand as a gesture of respect.
When the main float of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth appeared, the bearers presented it in front of the grandstand, and Sofía stood up to accompany it into the cathedral as the national anthem played and the crowd bid her farewell with applause. She returned to the box to watch the final floats, including those of Saint John and Our Lady of Sorrows, and ended the morning amid spontaneous waves and greetings.
The Queen Emerita and her two daughters visited Cartagena and Murcia over two days, at a time when Sofía is grieving the loss of her sister, Princess Irene of Greece, who passed away in January.