Pilar Eyre once again strips away the known story of the Borbón family to show the fragile and sometimes cruel side of those who live in it. And although time has covered with a veil of silence the disagreements between Doña Sofía and her sisters-in-law, the columnist for Readings resurrects those tensions as a reminder that, in palaces, walls not only protect, they also isolate.
On the facades of the palaces everything is marble, equestrian statues and golden crowns. But behind those cold walls lives the drama of royal families, an accumulation of silences, misgivings and never-healed wounds. This is what Pilar Eyre believes, relentless chronicler of the Bourbon dynasty, who this time focuses on a story that, despite the time that has passed, continues to cast shadows on the Royal House: the relationship between Queen Sofía and her sisters-in-law, the Infantas Pilar and Margaret. What for many was a family alliance, for the Greek princess became a minefield of humiliations and disagreements.
It was 1962 when the young Sofia of Greece, daughter of the powerful Queen Federica, landed in Spain as the fiancée of the then Prince Juan Carlos. She didn’t come like any visitor; Her mission, designed with Hellenic precision by her mother, was clear: conquer Franco and ensure that her husband ascended the throne. In Eyre’s words, “Sophia did not marry the successor’s successor, she married the future king.”
From the beginning, the princess understood that she had to pay homage not to Don Juan, the legitimate heir, but to the dictator who had the destiny of the Spanish monarchy in his hands. With calculated moves, she wrote letters, offered compliments and, during her honeymoon, visited Franco behind her father-in-law’s back. “It was a chess board, and Sofia played her pieces masterfully,” says Eyre. However, this strategy did not go down well with the Bourbons, who saw “the Greek” as a manipulative intruder. The tension was immediate, and both don Juan and his daughters, Pilar and Margarita, made their discomfort clear.
Humiliation and neglect: sisters-in-law on the attack
The hostility between Sofía and her sisters-in-law soon became evident. Eyre remembers episodes that show the depth of the disagreement. At Pilar’s wedding, the guests shouted “Long live the King, long live Juanito!”, in a gesture of contempt towards Prince Juan Carlos and his wife. Sofía, oblivious to the family games in Estoril, avoided any visit to the Bourbons whenever she could, stating that she had nothing in common with them. The infantas, Pilar and Margarita, did not facilitate the integration of the princess into the family. Pilar, now deceased, known for her energetic and carefree character, and Margarita, more reserved but equally loyal to her father, positioned themselves next to don Juan, the man who saw his right to the throne crumbling. The estrangement reached such a point that, when Franco appointed Juan Carlos as his successor, Don Juan forbade his daughters from attending the event. “Neither Pilar nor Margarita attended the most momentous moment in their brother’s life,” says Eyre.
Sofía, the strategist at the service of the institution
If something has defined Sofía throughout her life, it is her absolute loyalty to the Crown. According to Pilar Eyre, her mother, Queen Federica, instilled in her from a young age that her duty was above feelings. “You don’t have to praise that man who will never be king. Your mission is to conquer the one who has your destiny in his hands,” he told him.
Sofía complied with that mandate to the letter. It was she who insisted her husband ask his father, don Juan, to renounce his dynastic rights. It was she who approached Franco to guarantee that Juan Carlos was the one chosen. And it was she who, over time, relegated the infantas Pilar and Margarita to the background, for whom loyalty to their father surpassed any bond with their brother or sister-in-law.
Over the years, and now queen, Sofia tried to soften relations with her sisters-in-law, but the damage was done. Pilar and Margarita never fully accepted Sofía, and Sofia, although she maintained her manners, did not feel affection for them either. Family gatherings were formal gatherings where courtesy reigned, but not warmth.
Despite this, the three women shared a common point: their secondary role in a world dominated by men and patriarchal rules. Sofía lived to be queen, Pilar found her refuge in charitable causes and cooking, and Margarita, the most discreet, moved away from the media spotlight.
Today, Queen Sofía, at 86 years old, is a respected and admired figure, but her story with the infantas Pilar, now deceased, and Margarita reveals that life in the Royal House has never been a fairy tale. Misgivings, intrigue and family clashes have been the norm, and the relationship between these women was a reflection of the internal struggles that defined an era.
LinkedinBeloud