Infanta Sofía has just embarked on her own path, and it certainly looks promising. After completing the International Baccalaureate with excellent grades at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, she chose to study Political Science and International Relations at Forward College in Lisbon.
A decision made with the support of her parents and the Royal Household team, and one that makes a lot of sense considering the institutional role expected of her. The degree includes courses such as Political Theory, Contemporary History, Governance, Sustainable Development, and classes in leadership and ethics. It’s no coincidence.
Sofia enjoys a freedom that Leonor does not. The Princess of Asturias’ future has been mapped out since birth, with an education focused on preparing her to become Queen and Head of State. Sofia, on the other hand, can decide how much she wants to be involved in institutional life and build her career from there.
The Crown clearly intends to give her her own space, not just to accompany her sister. That’s already evident.
Where Sofia will study after Lisbon and her planned academic path
The first course ends in June, and with it comes the move. Sofia will spend her second year in Paris and finish her studies in Berlin. An academic journey through three European capitals that, in addition to training, provides something equally valuable: an international perspective and genuine autonomy.
For someone building their own institutional profile, that outside experience carries a weight that can’t be learned in any classroom.
What remains the biggest challenge for Princess Sofia in her public life: public speaking
Her institutional agenda is expanding. She has already presided over two events on her own, attended the inauguration of the ONCE Foundation’s Clinical Complex in Boadilla del Monte, and it was recently confirmed that she will assume her first honorary presidency with the Ibercaja Foundation before the summer.
But there’s still something missing: her public voice. Leonor has been speaking on camera since she was 13. Sofia has only done it twice: once during the pandemic and once at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. With this new honorary presidency on the table, perhaps now is the time for that to change.