List of titles and honours of Queen Sofía of Spain

Contents

Queen Sofía of Spain has received numerous titles, decorations, and honorary appointments, both during and before her time as consort to King Juan Carlos I. Each is listed below. Where two dates are shown, the first indicates the date of receiving the award or title and the second indicates the date of its loss, renunciation or when its use was discontinued.

Royal titles and styles

Born as Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark, she was the eldest daughter of King Paul of Greece and Queen Frederica, and a member of both the Greek and Danish royal families by descent.[1] Her marriage to then-Prince Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962 marked her entry into the Spanish royal family. As the wife of the heir-designate to General Franco's regime, she assumed the title Princess of Spain—a title created specifically for her husband as designated successor to Franco.[2] When Juan Carlos became King of Spain in 1975, following Franco's death, Sophia became queen consort of Spain.[3]

Following her husband's abdication in 2014, she retained the style Her Majesty and continues to be known as Queen Sofía in honorific and official contexts.[4]

  • 2 November 1938 – 14 May 1962: Her Royal Highness Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark[5]
  • 14 May 1962 - 21 July 1969: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias (titular)[6][7]
  • 21 July 1969 – 22 November 1975: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Spain[2]
  • 22 November 1975 – 19 June 2014: Her Majesty The Queen of Spain[3][8]
  • 19 June 2014 – present: Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain[4][9]

Honours

CountryAppointmentRibbonOther
Greek Royal FamilyDame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Olga and Sophia
Recipient of the Commemorative Badge of the Centenary of the Royal House of Greece[10]
SpainCollar of the Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece[11]
Dame of the Collar of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III[12][13]
11th Former Grand Mistress and 1,193rd Dame of the Royal Order of Noble Ladies of Queen Maria Luisa
Recipient of the Spanish Red Cross Medal
ArgentinaGrand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín
AustriaGrand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria[14]
BelgiumGrand Cordon of the Order of Leopold[15]
BrazilGrand Cross of the National Order of the Southern Cross
ChileGrand Cross of the Order of Merit
ColombiaGrand Cross Extraordinary of the Order of Boyacá
Grand Cross of the Order of San Carlos
Costa RicaGrand Cross of the Order of Juan Mora Fernández
DenmarkKnight of the Order of the Elephant
Dominican RepublicGrand Cross with Gold Breast Star of the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella[16]
EcuadorGrand Cross of the National Order of San Lorenzo[17]
EgyptMember Supreme Class of the Order of the Virtues[18]
El SalvadorGrand Cross with Silver Plaque of the Order of José Matías Delgado[19][20]
EstoniaMember 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana[21]
Ethiopian Imperial FamilyDame Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Queen of Sheba
FinlandGrand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland[22]
FranceGrand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
Grand Cross of the Order of the National Merit
GermanyGrand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
GreeceGrand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
GuatemalaGrand Cross of the Order of the Quetzal[23]
Holy SeeDame of the Collar of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem
Recipient of the For Church and Pope Badge Medal
Recipient of the Benemerenti Medal
HondurasGrand Cross of the Order of Francisco Morazán
HungaryGrand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
IcelandGrand Cross of the Order of the Falcon[24]
Indonesia1st Class of the Star of Mahaputera
Iranian Imperial FamilyMember 1st Class of the Order of the Pleiades
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 2,500 year Celebration of the Persian Empire
ItalyKnight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[25]
Calabrian Royal Family of Two SiciliesDame Grand Cross of Justice of the Two Sicilian Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
JamaicaHonorary Member of the Order of Jamaica[26][27]
JapanGrand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown[28]
JordanGrand Cordon with Brilliants (Special 1st Class) of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance[29]
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan[30]
LatviaCommander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars[31][32]
LebanonGrand Cross of the Order of Merit
LithuaniaGrand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great[33][34]
LuxembourgKnight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau[35]
MaltaHonorary Member of the Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika
MexicoSash of Special Category of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle
MoroccoMember Special Class of the Order of Muhammad[36]
Nepalese Royal FamilyMember of the Order of the Benevolent Ruler
NetherlandsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion[37]
Recipient of the Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix, Princess of Orange and Claus Van Amsberg
NigeriaGrand Commander of the Order of the Niger
NorwayGrand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav
PanamaGrand Cross Extraordinary of the Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa[38]
PeruGrand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru[38]
PhilippinesMember of the Order of Gabriela Silang[39]
Grand Collar of the Order of the Golden Heart[40]
PolandKnight of the Order of the White Eagle
PortugalGrand Cross of the Military Order of Christ[41]
Grand Cross of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword[42]
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry[43]
RomaniaGrand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania[44]
SlovakiaGrand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross[45]
South AfricaGrand Cross of the Order of Good Hope[46]
South KoreaMember of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa
SwedenMember of the Royal Order of the Seraphim
Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
ThailandDame of the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
Dame Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao[47]
UruguayMedal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay[48]
VenezuelaGrand Cross of the Order of the Liberator[49]
YugoslaviaOrder of the Yugoslav Star with Sash[50]
ZaireGrand Cross of the National Order of the Leopard

Regional and local

  • Balearic Islands:

Honorific eponyms

  • Spain
  • Philippines Manila: Queen Sofia Hall – National Museum of Fine Arts
  • USA New York City: Queen Sofía Spanish Institute
  • Antarctica South Shetland Islands: Mount Reina Sofía (Mount Queen Sofia) on Livingston Island

Other

Scholastic

Queen Sofía has been the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates including:

Spanish Royal Academies

  • Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St. Ferdinand): Honorary Member
  • Real Academia de la Historia (Royal Academy of History): Honorary Member

References

  1. 1.Gay, Danielle (13 May 2019). "Inside Queen Sofía and King Juan Carlos's 1962 wedding". Vogue Australia. Condé Nast. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. 2.[2.2]Ley 62/1969 Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) (in Spanish)
  3. 3.[3.2]Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XV. "Spanien". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1997, pp. 20, 100–101. (in German) ISBN 978-3-79800-814-4
  4. 4.[4.2]"Spain will have two kings and two queens". The Telegraph. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  5. 5.Gay, Danielle (13 May 2019). "Inside Queen Sofía and King Juan Carlos's 1962 wedding". Vogue Australia. Condé Nast. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. 6.From 1962 to 1969, Sofía held the titular title of Princess of Asturias by virtue of her marriage to Juan Carlos of Bourbon, who was recognized by monarchist supporters as the titular Prince of Asturias, the traditional title for the heir to the Spanish throne. Although Spain was still under Franco’s regime and the monarchy had not yet been restored, royalist circles upheld these dynastic titles. As was customary, the wife of the Prince of Asturias held the feminine version of her husband's title, becoming the Princess of Asturias.
  7. 7.Bernecker, Walther (January 1998). "Monarchy and Democracy: The Political Role of King Juan Carlos in the Spanish Transición". Journal of Contemporary History. 33 (1): 65–84. doi:10.1177/003200949803300104. S2CID 157966975.
  8. 8.Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XV. "Spanien". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1997, pp. 20, 100–101. (in German) ISBN 978-3-79800-814-4
  9. 9."Spain will have two kings and two queens". The Telegraph. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  10. 10.Does not have a ribbon, but a badge.
  11. 11.(in Spanish) 29 October. HM Queen Sofia awarded the insignia (collar) of the Order of the Golden Fleece. BOE (Spanish Official Gazette), 24/10/29.
  12. 12.(in Spanish) Decree 1192/1962, 1 June. HRH Princess Sofia Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III. BOE (Spanish Official Gazette), 62/06/01.
  13. 13.(in Spanish) Royal Decree 2747/1983, 31 October. HM Queen Sofia Collar of the Order of Charles III. BOE (Spanish Official Gazette), 83/11/02.
  14. 14."Reply to a parliamentary question about the Decoration of Honour" (PDF) (in German). p. 519. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  15. 15."ABC SEVILLA (Sevilla) – 23/09/1978, p. 14 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". hemeroteca.sevilla.abc.es. 14 August 2019.
  16. 16.Decree 1174-00 of 13 November 2000
  17. 17."ABC SEVILLA (Sevilla) – 10/05/1980, p. 21 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". hemeroteca.sevilla.abc.es. 20 August 2019.
  18. 18."ABC (Madrid) – 18/02/1997, p. 28 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". ABC. Spain. 28 August 2019.
  19. 19."ABC (Madrid) – 11/03/1997, p. 6 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". ABC. Spain. 29 August 2019.
  20. 20."ABC (Madrid) – 08/09/1977, p. 14 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". ABC. Spain. 10 August 2019.
  21. 21.Estonian State Decorations – Bearers of decorations, Sofía – official website of the President of the Republic of Estonia
  22. 22.Matikkala, Antti (2017). Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat (in Finnish). Helsinki: Edita. p. 498. ISBN 978-951-37-7005-1.
  23. 23.Úbeda-Portugués, José Escribano (1 January 2005). La dimensión europea de la política exterior española hacia América Latina: política internacional de los primeros gobiernos socialistas. Editorial Visión Libros. ISBN 9788499830858 – via Google Books.
  24. 24.Icelandese Presidency Website Archived 8 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Sofia; drottning Spánar; Spánn; 1985-09-16; Stórkross (= Sofia, Queen of Spain, Spain, 16 September 1985, Grand Cross)
  25. 25.Italian Presidency, S.M. Sofia Regina di Spagna – Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
  26. 26."Order of Excellence (OE)". Government of Jamaica. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  27. 27."Los Reyes de visita official en Jamaica". Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.
  28. 28.Sebastian, Pablo (29 October 1980). "Hiro Hito considera la visita de los Reyes de trascendental importancia para las relaciones hispano-japonesas". El País.
  29. 29."Los reyes de Jordania realizan en España su primera visita de Estado a un país de la Unión Europea". El País. 21 October 1999.
  30. 30."Visita Oficial del Rey Hussein de Jordania a España" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  31. 31.Latvian Presidency, Recipients list (.doc) Archived 2 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  32. 32.Getty Images, State Visit of Latvian President, October 2004, Group photo
  33. 33.Lithuanian Presidency Archived 19 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Lithuanian Orders searching form
  34. 34."President of the Republic of Lithuania". adamkus.lt.
  35. 35."ABC SEVILLA (Sevilla) – 11/07/1980, p. 21 – ABC.es Hemeroteca". hemeroteca.sevilla.abc.es. 20 August 2019.
  36. 36.J.A.V, Jose Alejandro Vara (17 June 2014). "Felipe VI elige Marruecos para realizar este verano su primer viaje oficial como Rey de España". Vozpópuli.
  37. 37."Irene-porto Ercole-kinderen". Anp Archief.
  38. 38.[38.2]"La Familia Real recibe, de gala, al Presidente de Perú en el Palacio Real de Madrid". us.hola.com. 6 July 2004.
  39. 39."Roster of Recipients of Presidential Awards". Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  40. 40."Roster of Recipients of Presidential Awards". Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  41. 41."Presidência da República- Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas". Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  42. 42."Presidência da República- Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas". Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  43. 43."Presidência da República- Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas". Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  44. 44.Romanian Presidency, Star of Romania recipients list (.xls) Archived 3 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  45. 45.Slovak republic website, State honours: 1st Class received in 2007 (click on "Holders of the Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross" to see the holders' table)
  46. 46."Speech BY President Nelson Mandela at the State Banquet in Honour of King Juan Carlos". South African History Online. 31 March 2011.
  47. 47.Jauregui, Fernando (20 November 1987). "El rey Juan Carlos invita a Tailandia a participar en la Expo 92". El País.
  48. 48."Resolución N° 957/996". impo.com.uy. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  49. 49."MPR. Error". mpr.gob.es. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
  50. 50."Одликувања" (PDF). Službeni list SFRJ (in Macedonian). XLII (64): 1851. 28 November 1986.
  51. 51."XIII Tercio "Reina Sofía". Memorial Reales Tercios de España".