Summer at Marivent is no longer what it used to be. Once again, the Mallorcan palace has held the traditional reception for Balearic authorities, but the main protagonist, Queen Sofía, was on the verge of being absent for the first time in decades.
A personal and painful decision motivated by her sister's delicate health, Princess Irene of Greece, has been at the center of a discreet family standoff that required the direct intervention of King Felipe VI. On top of all this, Sofía herself suffered a health setback a week ago.
Palacio de la Zarzuela has witnessed a silent transformation over the past few months. At 86 years old, Queen Sofía has put her official agenda on the back burner to become the main caregiver for her inseparable sister. They have always been very close and went through a difficult childhood due to the exile they suffered. Their father would reclaim the crown years later, but their brother Constantino, as a result of poor management and closeness to the dictatorship, lost the favor of the Greek people and, consequently, the throne.
"Aunt Pecu," as she is affectionately known in the family, is going through a moment of extreme fragility. Although there is no official confirmation, reports point to progressive cognitive decline, a battle against forgetfulness that keeps her away from public life and, to a large extent, bedridden. For Doña Sofía, her sister is her absolute priority, an unbreakable bond that led her to make a firm decision: there would be no summer in Mallorca this year.
A sister's devotion in the face of a queen's duty
The emeritus queen has organized her life around the care her sister requires, personally overseeing her well-being and offering her the comfort of her constant presence. For her, the walls of Marivent, filled with memories of past summers, made no sense without the company of the person who has been her greatest confidant and support throughout her life.
However, in the machinery of the Royal Household, every gesture counts, and every absence is interpreted. The image of the Royal Family in Mallorca is a symbol of unity and tradition that is projected both nationally and internationally.
Queen Sofía's absence from the annual reception would have sent a signal of fracture or crisis, something Zarzuela wanted to avoid at all costs. The institutional machinery was set in motion, but the initial requests for her to reconsider her position had no effect. Doña Sofía remained firm, arguing that her duty now was another, a more intimate and personal one.
The call that changed everything
Faced with his mother's unyielding stance, King Felipe VI decided to step in. Aware of the symbolic weight of the emeritus queen's presence in Mallorca, the monarch understood that the situation required a personal intervention.
According to reports, it was a direct request, from son to mother, that finally achieved what protocols had not. Felipe VI didn't give her an order, but he conveyed the importance of her presence at Marivent, even if only for a few hours, to keep intact a tradition she herself helped to forge.
According to sources close to her, Doña Sofía had set one condition: she would only travel if her son asked her personally. So it was. After that conversation, the emeritus queen packed her bags and, in a discreet trip on Sunday afternoon, landed in Palma. Her arrival was not announced with great fanfare, but rather took place with the discretion that has characterized her movements in recent times.
Finally, this Monday, August 4, Queen Sofía took her place at the Marivent reception alongside King Felipe and Queen Letizia. She was also seen very close to her granddaughters.