Something unprecedented happened today. Leonor and Sofia attended the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Andrew and Demetrius in Madrid to bid farewell to Irene of Greece.
And I say we hadn’t seen it because, until now, Felipe and Letizia’s daughters had never attended public events of this kind. They were always absent for funerals or family farewells. But this time, it was different. They were there, alongside their grandmother Sofia, offering her support during a very difficult time.
The image that struck me the most was seeing Leonor offer her arm to her grandmother as they entered the temple together. As rain fell on Madrid, the Princess of Asturias walked alongside Queen Sofia, umbrella in hand.
Inside, they sat next to her in the front row. Felipe, Letizia, the Queen Emerita, and the girls took center stage. As always in these situations, Letizia remained in the background, yet attentive to every detail and her mother-in-law’s every need.
Interestingly, we usually only see Leonor and Sofia with their Greek family in private. The luncheon following the Order of the Golden Fleece for Queen Sofia, the Christmas dinners, and Leonor’s 18th birthday—all without cameras. But today was different.
On Monday, January 19th, they will travel to Athens for the burial at Tatoi, something they also did not do when Constantine died three years ago. The change is clear.
After the Greek funeral, each will return to their own lives: Leonor to San Javier to finish her military training, and Sofia to Lisbon, where she is in her first year of university.