Kate and William 'may move to Windsor' says Sacerdoti

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Doña Sofía, who belongs to the oldest royal dynasty in Europe — the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, also called the House of Glücksburg, a branch of the Danish Oldenburg dynasty —, is a solid member of a family scrutinised over a long-standing corruption scandal.

The former Queen of Spain, who on Tuesday turned 83 years old, has remained by her son’s and daughter-in-law’s side, supporting them in their royal duties, at a time when the family is struggling to repair the damaged image left by former King Juan Carlos I.

Since King Philip VI, 53, ascended the throne following his father’s abdication in 2014, he and Queen Letizia, 49, have had to subtly though steadily battle against a reputation caused by the scandal over Juan Carlos’s alleged financial irregularities.

In March last year, Juan Carlos, 83, stopped receiving his yearly salary, and months after, he moved to the UAE to — at least partly — escape the backlash from the several ongoing investigations into his finances.

It is widely reported in Spain that Doña Sofía’s and Juan Carlos’s marriage — despite not having divorced — is over. Yet, Sofía has never had a bad word for him – not even after he left for Dubai.

In an excerpt published in the 1997 biography by Pilar Urbano, the former Queen speaks of what could explain her attitude towards her (still) husband: “Love is a living feeling that changes over time.

“Ours has evolved into a friendship.

“We are not at all the same and we don’t like the same things.

“But I, as his wife, as a friend, I am his teammate and I am always at his disposal.”

It is this mindset, alongside a clear lack of interest in fueling controversy and a “big heart”, that might be leading Sofía’s decisions.

Born in Greece, where she holds the title of Princess, her brother Constantine is King. Speaking to ¡HOLA!, he said of her: “I am full of admiration for what my sister Sofía has done for her country, Spain.

“Sofia has a very big heart and a wonderful sense of humour.

“What I’ve always admired about her is her way of bringing the family together wherever she goes.

“Thank God we see each other often.”

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In the past year, Sofía has worked hard both for the Crown and for the charities she is a patron of.

Operation Cold, the mission launched by the Reina Sofía Foundation to provide food banks with refrigerated trucks and storage facilities in a bid to supply those in need with fresh products that could otherwise not be transported, is one of many initiatives she has driven.

Besides foods banks, which Doña Sofía has put particular efforts into throughout the coronavirus pandemic, she is highly involved with causes in the areas of cancer, rare diseases, and climate.

In recent years, she has become a regular in the collection of waste on Spanish beaches and other natural environments.

She joined a group of volunteers from Ecoembes and SEO BirdLife, two leading environmental organisations, last September to collect plastic bottles, cans and cigarette butts dressed comfortably and wearing gloves on a beach in Alicante, a port city on Spain’s southeastern Costa Blanca.

As long as health allows, Sofía is expected to continue to support the monarchy and the causes she believes in just as Spaniards have always known their former Queen.

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