King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's Marriage

[Hans-Rickard]

I belive Queen Sofia’s view on marriage is very ”old school” and that she is simply a production of her generation and regards divorces as ”something you shouldn’t do regardless of what your husband does to you”

It is sad really but what else could there be the reason for her not leaving him, and finding a man who would treat her with respect ?

She knew there was no chance she could ”win” a legal custody fight about the children… Maybe about Elena and Cristina but no way she would be getting custody of Felipe.

And they both had a lot to loose on a divorce… JC may not even had been allowed tp succeed Franco then… And by seeing how successfully he has managed to bully and threat all his mistress’ into silence over the years, with a lot of help from the spanish authorities, Queen Sofia would probably have got an even bigger hell then….

 

[Linda_26]

I meant those marriages whore are really long with 60+ years. There have been many with big downs like the late Count and Countess of Paris, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, King Albert II. and Queen Paola, the Count and Countess of Barcelona etc. Compared to those the marriages of Beatrix and Claus and of Baudouin and Fabiola have been short (which they of course they were not)

Albert and Paola reconciled 40 years ago or more, and have had a happy marriage by all accounts since then, so a bit different from the other couples you mention, I think

 

[kalnel]

Perhaps it was performative, but from the photos I have seen, Juan Carlos seemed quite smitten on his wedding day.

I've read the opposite about the wedding. Sofia was very upset and in tears during the ceremony, and he didn't even look at her. Irene got up at some point to comfort her and hand her a tissue.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I belive Queen Sofia’s view on marriage is very ”old school” and that she is simply a production of her generation and regards divorces as ”something you shouldn’t do regardless of what your husband does to you”

It is sad really but what else could there be the reason for her not leaving him, and finding a man who would treat her with respect ?

She knew there was no chance she could ”win” a legal custody fight about the children… Maybe about Elena and Cristina but no way she would be getting custody of Felipe.

And they both had a lot to loose on a divorce… JC may not even had been allowed tp succeed Franco then… And by seeing how successfully he has managed to bully and threat all his mistress’ into silence over the years, with a lot of help from the spanish authorities, Queen Sofia would probably have got an even bigger hell then….

I believe it is still true today - what would a divorced consort gain? Of course housing and enough money to have a carefree life but no role, constant attention of the press - almost impossible for CP/Monarch couple to divorce with kids still being minors, still difficult with adult kids. As in Sofias case - society was different back then - even today, it would be the consort who loses out on almost everything, not the born royal. Apart from the time they have devoted and invitest, they lose role, circle of friends, children are torn, wont get privacy back - my point is, even today, with cheating frowned upon by society, I would think not once but many, many times before pulling the plug if I was the consort in a royal marriage.

 

[Queen Claude]

I've read the opposite about the wedding. Sofia was very upset and in tears during the ceremony, and he didn't even look at her. Irene got up at some point to comfort her and hand her a tissue.

I don't recall reading anything about the wedding one way or another other than it was in Greece, I am going by the photos. Was it reported that Sofia's tears were due to doubts she had about being married to JC? Was she bullied / pressured / coerced?

 

[Stefan]

Queen Friederike mentioned about the Wedding in her Memories that on the Day the entire Family took tranquilizers as they were so nervous.
And also that meet the Couple again a few days later before they left to Spain, which she thought was wrong.

 

[Prinsara]

Above it is suggested that it was a marriage of convenience for JC. Is it known if Sofia felt the same way or was she actually in love? As BR pointed out the King does say he was not forced into the marriage. I imagine neither was Sofia.

I have been reading van der Kiste’s history of the Spanish monarchy from Isabel II to JC, A Divided Kingdom, and there are two surprisingly sweet and somewhat telling moments about him and Sofia.

• that when they met on the Agammemnon, she told him she was studying judo… he said it would be of no use to her… she asked him for his hand… he gave it. She threw him to the ground.
• And then a few years later at the 1960 Olympics, he had a mustache… Sofia thought he looked horrible with it; he said he didn’t see what he could do about it. She took him in the nearest bathroom, sat him down, put a towel around his neck, and shaved him.

Romance novel stuff. It’s crystal-clear he liked “Sophie’s” strong will and decisive personality very much (among the other things he liked), and despite being rather sick of being a ping-pong ball who had to obey his father and Franco, he obviously found the fact she wasn’t some fragile flower (or as docile as he had to pretend to be, I guess) very attractive.

I think they were in love, but the conditions that led to JC’s rather fractured personality would have driven just about anyone nuts, and his coping method of hot-and-cold running mistresses would have driven any woman to retreat for her own sake.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

My belief is that Queen Sofia is from a generation of men and women who believe that wedding vows are for life. Especially vows taken in church .

There is no part of the Christian marital contract which states " I am married until you cheat. Or until I am no longer in love, happy, fulfilled etc. Then I have a right to peace outta here."

That is the attitude with which a majority of people, both Royal and commoner, enter the marital union today.

Sonia, Elizabeth II, Juliana, Anne Marie, Margrethe..all of them had a very Christian view of marital vows vs.a modern one which puts personal fulfillment above sacrifice.

I don't see it as "sad". I admire people like that.

 

[Toledo]

The pictures of the two of them kissing each other (taken in 1994 by Barbara Rey's then 13-year-old son) were published recently by the Dutch magazine Privé:
Salen a la luz las fotos del rey Juan Carlos y Bárbara Rey besándose | El Correo

And the recording where Juan Carlos talks about his marriage is apparently also from 1994, here's a part of it:
Juan Carlos sobre la Reina Sofía: "No estamos juntos desde que nació Felipe, vida familiar, ninguna"

I'm listening to the recording and can't believe he has the nerve to say the Queen is behaving a bit "cabreada" which means piss*d off. He mentions they are at a point there's not even a conversation between them the way he speaks to his mistress. The irony is that he states he is the one that doesn't want to have talks with his wife despite her insisting on it.

Excerpt:

"...Juan Carlos I did not hide from her that his marriage to Queen Sofia was not as real as it appeared to public opinion. "Family life, none. In summer something else, but we don't talk. She will say why don't I talk...", adds Juan Carlos in a new audio that OKDIARIO reveals exclusively. ​

​

"Between you and me, I'm going to be selfish for me it's very comfortable because as Queen she fulfills wonderfully. On top of that, he endures, he doesn't go with someone else," the monarch tells his lover. In the recordings, which are part of a blackmail initiated by the vedette to the Head of State to get a job and money..."​

---

On a related note, any relation with the former king also proved to be deadly for another woman already:

The tragic death of Sandra Mozarowsky, alleged lover of King Juan Carlos, will be told in a film
Excerpt:

It was in 2020 when the extramarital life of King Juan Carlos (84 years old) once again gained news vigor. It happened after the writer Lucía Etxebarría (55) focused on another of the furtive bedroom adventures of the head of state for almost four decades: that of Sandra Mozarowsky. A relationship that although it was not the most controversial, perhaps it was the darkest.​

 

[tommy100]

I have always felt really vey sorry for Sofia. I know some look down on her for staying with a cheater but IMO she had very little choice. She was the daughter of a RF with enough issues of their own (5 years after her wedding the military coup took place). For the first 13 years Franco was about grooming JC for his heir and thus a divorce would have been out the question. Then by the time divorce was probably even a semi-viable option she was the mother of a future King of Spain and knew divorce would mean leaving her children, a role she had made her own and a position that brought security and protection when her brother was in exile. At the end of the day her choice was - give up everything she had achieved and watch herself be replaced by another wife of JC in time - or shallow her pride and stay close to her children and work hard in her role as consort.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I believe it is still true today - what would a divorced consort gain? Of course housing and enough money to have a carefree life but no role, constant attention of the press - almost impossible for CP/Monarch couple to divorce with kids still being minors, still difficult with adult kids. As in Sofias case - society was different back then - even today, it would be the consort who loses out on almost everything, not the born royal. Apart from the time they have devoted and invitest, they lose role, circle of friends, children are torn, wont get privacy back - my point is, even today, with cheating frowned upon by society, I would think not once but many, many times before pulling the plug if I was the consort in a royal marriage.

Probably yes…The road to divorce for monarch and spouse + heir and spouse is longer than for others…

No doubt the spouse would be well provided for with a nice big house, car, assistance, security, money, and no doubt they would do their utmost to cooperate about the children….

But still you would most likely have to spend the rest of your life dancing after what the royal court of wich you are no longer a part, tells you…

I understand if people in those situations would be thinking both once and twice before they decides to proceed with any divorce papers

 

[Prinsara]

I’m also just going to venture that given how badly JC ruptured his relationship with his parents due to his own fault on a tragic level, maybe he feels similarly about destroying his marriage and disappointing Sofia due to subsequent faults?

He treats all three with a similar “respect”/humility/admiration… or at least he knows he’s the screw-up.