the queen emeritus doesn’t even blink

Firm, decisive and serious gesture. Doña Sofía’s look, in front of the cameras, says it all. He doesn’t even blink. It was the first of three events this week for Doña Sofía. Far from maintaining a discreet and out of focus profile, the queen emerita stars in a career of events in one of the weeks of greatest anxiety for Doña Sofía due to the endless audios of Don Juan Carlos and Barbara Rey. That first commitment took place this Monday morning, October 7, in Torrejón de Ardoz, in Madrid.

The queen emeritus presided this morning over an event of military format: the commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the creation of the Military Emergency Unit and the 15th anniversary of the delivery of the national flag at the Torrejón Air Base. On Tuesday the 8th, he stars in the delivery of the Mapfre Foundation Social Awards 2024, which are held at the Real Casino in the capital. And his career concludes on Friday the 11th with a cultural event: the premiere of the work that won the XLI Reina Sofía Prize for musical composition at the Teatro Monumental, also in Madrid.

This high exposure of Queen Emeritus in one of the most difficult weeks for her is an exercise in firmness and professionalism. Also, an example of composure and resilience, of standing up and getting on with the job. Autumn has started very hard for her after the storm of audios from Juan Carlos I and Bárbara Rey.

A private conversations, recorded 30 years ago, in which the then monarch vents with the Murcian star and talks about Doña Sofía, his lack of relationship with her and the distance that existed between them. Barbara also speaks without filters: “I have been hated by the Queen to the hilt. She has used all the means she has had at her disposal and around her to bring me down,” she said. Some words that the actress now regrets and commented to Beatriz Cortázar: “It was unnecessary for me to come out, I’m very sorry.”

Your two autumn dates

This fall, Don Felipe’s mother faces two important appointments. Her outing to Oviedo, one of her favorites, on the occasion of the Princess of Asturias awards, which her granddaughter Leonor will present for the sixth time. It will be on Friday the 25th of this month. Doña Sofía usually arrives in the capital of the Principality, at the Hotel de la Reconquista, on Friday at mid-morning and leaves for Madrid minutes after concluding the ceremony. The other date is his 86th birthday. He will blow out the candles in Madrid on November 2. An event in which she will be supported by her family.