King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia of Spain

[Eurohistory]

The issue of religious conversion by Sophia caused quite a bit of a stir in Greece...how things have changed!

Arturo Beéche

[SSKENDER]

The issue of religious conversion by Sophia caused quite a bit of a stir in Greece...how things have changed!

Arturo Beéche

It is quite amusing, how the Orthodox clerics were so irked by Sophia marrying a Catholic, yet the populace was in love with her Juanito.

Regards Arturo.

[CatherineNY]

I was interested in Fredericka's comment that Queen Fredericka converted to the Greek Orthodox faith, then renounced it. Did she do this when she was studying in India? I believe that Princess Irene accompanied her mother to India. Did she go willingly, or did the Queen more or less make her go? Did Irene, too, renounce Orthodoxy?

[frederika]

i dont no if Irene was forced to go with her mother or not. I think it was quite sad for Irene as like other princesses she ended up as her mothers companion always going with her on travles to India.
Although fredereika died quite young by that time Irene was old to have children and get married so i think she just carried on her mothers work. i think the two were close irene is very clever and an acumplished pianist so she has devoted her life to thoughs causes she did not go as far as her mother who renounced everything to do with royalty.

i no someone who has met Irene he told me she was really nice and very intresting to talk to so  she seems happy with her lot but you never no.

[SSKENDER]

I was interested in Fredericka's comment that Queen Fredericka converted to the Greek Orthodox faith, then renounced it. Did she do this when she was studying in India? I believe that Princess Irene accompanied her mother to India. Did she go willingly, or did the Queen more or less make her go? Did Irene, too, renounce Orthodoxy?

I disagree thorougly with the idea that Queen Frederika renounced Queen Orthodoxy.
I do not believe it, and I think the whole Indian guru issue has been overstated and mis-interpreted.
From what I understand, Queen Frederika was ever looking for more spirituality, but that doesn't mean she renounced her Greek Orthodox Faith.
Regards

[Eurohistory]

Renowned Spanish royalty author Ricardo Mateos Sáinz de Medrano will be giving a lecture on Queen doña Sofía and her family -based on his book La Familia de la reina doña Sofía, which was published last year.

Ricardo's lecture is taking place on Sunday, October 16 at the VIIIth Annual Eurohistory Roaylty Conference, to be hedl in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning early Saturday, October 15.

Arturo Beéche

[frederika]

i just remebered on the 2nd it was 30 years since the death of Franco and the resiration of the Monachey

[isabel]

I was eleven years old when Franco died, i remember very well that i was watching "The little house in the prairie", with my little sister, when suddenly the TV announced his death.

I remember that all my family was happy but a little anxious about the destiny of our country.

Happyly our new king succeeded to conduced us to the democracy without violence.

It´s incredible how Spain has changed since i was a little girl ¡

[Eurohistory]

But sadly, as with the 25th anniversary, King Juan Carlos is not planning any major event to celebrate his 30th anniversary on the throne.  Hopefully at least some medals or coins will be minted, somethign at least!

Arturo Beéche

[crotalo]

Queen Sophia is a cold , frozen person "iron eyes". She is respected by everybody in Spain but she has also detractors. What happens is that in Spain there is a kind of censure when talking about the royal family and it is forbiden in medias to criticise them. But everybody konws "things". Nobody ignores she takes all the decissions of the royal house. That she intrigued a lot to get the crown against her father in law. Coming fom aa operetta fake court, she did the impossible to pass over everybody.It is Forbiden to talk about the king infidelities, but everybody knows his affairs with actresses and singers:B. R  and P S B. even with another ex-queen!! when younger, Sophia flied to Greece with their children twice and was called to order
by the government. (nobody remembers).
     Her behaviour to other members of the royal family is to blame. Luis Alfonso , the Duke of Anjou, is a nice, humble man. He was not invited to any royal marriage. No member of the royal house at his own wedding. the bastard son of Alphonse XIII, recognised as Bourbon by law and his family doesn't exist to her. She was extremely intolerant with the girlfriends ofpoor Philippe.
Being a woman lack of charms, she adores stones. That's why she envy terribly the baronesa T.and this, who is a great woman, always goes to receptions where
the queen is wearing an irreal stone big like an egg.

      I suppose this is insupportable to see the ministers
flattering Titta. To receive her, she wears in black or grey, trying to appear simply majestatic. The mediocre tiara of Hannover, wich her grand mother wore while dinning with nazi generals is eclipsed by these Tita stones.

Her great culture. that is incredible. Nobody knows this woman, who speaks seven languages? and has difficulty to express herself in spanish. They speak english at home. when she visit museums or go to the Opera, she smile, any comment, that's all. If she smile, she is cultivated. Actually, she might be bored, absent, interested. Who knows? the stupidity is incredible when people want to beleive what is prepared to make believe.

            Sophie is a lie. It is a great lie, as other great lies of this world (the tolerance of the republique francaise with inmigrants) Idolos de barro.

[Eric_Lowe]

She might not be perfect but Sofia cannot be blamed to for the treatment of Luis Alfonso. Juan Carlos's father Don Juan had issues with his brother Don Jamie, and did not get along with Alfonso, Jamie's son. It was his insistance that Alfonso's title of Duke of Cadiz to made lifetime only, thus prevented Alfonso's son Luis Alfonso from inheiting the title. (this information came from Ricardo Mateos who knew Spanish Royal history well)Queen Sofia was just toeing the offical family line.

[Eurohistory]

A morganatic descendant of King Alfonso XIII shoud consider himself lucky he even manage dot get the title of Duke of Cadiz, last used by Queen Isabel II's husband.

Arturo Beéche

[Eurohistory]

She might not be perfect but Sofia cannot be blamed to for the treatment of Luis Alfonso. Juan Carlos's father Don Juan had issues with his brother Don Jamie, and did not get along with Alfonso, Jamie's son. It was his insistance that Alfonso's title of Duke of Cadiz to made lifetime only, thus prevented Alfonso's son Luis Alfonso from inheiting the title. (this information came from Ricardo Mateos who knew Spanish Royal history well)Queen Sofia was just toeing the offical family line.

Beware of how you interpret what Ricardo has said...word of caution.

Arturo Beéche

[crotalo]

However , Alfonso has the right of claiming who he is.
He is precedent by male primogeniture. the first in direct male Bourbon line. Jaime's renounce was not very clear.
This was a private letter signature, but it was NOT ratified by the parliament (a mistake of alfonso XIII).
     He tricked to stole their rights to Ena's first sons for their haemophilia. both of them assured their renounces were fictious. (Memories of Emmanuela de Dampierre, diamonds of the crown, Juan Balansó).

                 Tell me. Is it possible not to invite to the marriage of the Prince his cousin, direct descendant of Louis XIV and of Saint Louis and to invite toreadors or
Farah Divas?  She is who makes the list. a woman could do that, but not a Queen.

Frederika. Do you know in Greece affiches were colled in the streets with her face in big size and the words "Beware, she could return"?

[Eurohistory]

The renunciations signed by the Prince of Asturias and the Infante don Jaime were quite clear, not a single doubt as to what they both were signing.  To say the opposite is simply historically incorrect.

Your claim that PARLIAMENT did not ratyify the renunciations is baseless.  What Republican parliament was going to  get itself involved in ratifying anything done within the royal house while in exile?  in exile the epicenter of royal law was King Alfonso XIII and after his death in 1941 the Count of Barcelona.  They did so mindful of the laws in existence at the time of the monarchy's fall, upholding important laws such as the Pragmatica of Carlos III which was responsible for regulating marriages within the family.

Furthermore, to use the ramblings of Madame Sozzani and the gossipy works of the late Juan Balansó, whom I knew well, as your basis for these assertions is a big mistake.

Madame Sozzani has backed away from many of the things she wrote in her hateful book.

Don Luis Alfosno de Borbón and his aunt, Emanuela Pratolongo, were at the Prince of Asturias' wedding.  Empress Farah of Iran is a good friend of Their Majesties, others present, among them several bllfighters, are distinguished Spanish personalities and had a right to be there.

Arturo Beéche