Today, April 29, Infanta Sofía turns 19 in Lisbon, where she is completing her first year of university at Forward College, studying Political Science and International Relations.
There will be no public celebration, no official event, and no statement from the Zarzuela Palace with birthday photos. She has exams in May and classes through June 5. It’s that simple, and to be honest, it’s also consistent with the image this young woman is building for herself.
Sofia lives in a student residence in the Benfica area, about thirty minutes from her university, in an environment that is quite peaceful for someone in her position. She is the first Spanish royal to study at a private university abroad, which in itself sets her apart from the rest of her family.
When she completes this phase in Portugal, her plan is clear. In the fall, she will travel to Paris for her second year at the same university, which has campuses in several European capitals and costs around $21,500 per academic year. After that, it will be Berlin’s turn.
Paris will play a key role in Infanta Sofia’s diplomatic and personal development
Paris is not just any destination on her itinerary. The city is home to organizations like UNESCO and the OECD, which fits perfectly with her specialization in diplomacy and international relations.
But beyond academia, Paris is also the world capital of fashion, and here’s an interesting detail: on dates like Fashion Week, she could run into her cousin Victoria Federica, who is a regular on the runway circuit.
It also remains to be seen whether President Macron will receive her at the Élysée Palace, as former Portuguese President Rebelo de Sousa did last October. From a protocol standpoint, that would be a logical gesture.
Infanta Sofía’s institutional role
Although she continues to keep a fairly low profile, Sofía has taken concrete steps this year. In January, she attended her first official event on her own, at the ONCE Foundation in Boadilla del Monte in January. Since March, she has served as an honorary president of the Ibercaja Foundation’s Docentes Referentes program.
These are small steps, but they are moving in the right direction. It is also worth remembering that, according to the original text, Sofía would have liked to study something related to art, but her parents opted for an education more focused on what is expected of the second in line to the throne.