The Infantas at Easter

Three royal women, three different destinies.  A trio of Spain's six Infantas have appeared together at Mass today in Mallorca.  The Infanta Elena joined her nieces, the Infanta Leonor and the Infanta Sofia, as the Spanish royals attended an Easter Day service together.  But one photograph inside the Cathedral showed how very different their destinies are and will be.

Three of the Infantas of Spain with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia and the Prince and Princess of Asturias in Mallorca on Easter Sunday 2014

The royals took their place in the front row but before they all sat down, Queen Sofia did some rearranging.  The granddaughter with whom she shares her name had sat next to King Juan Carlos and after a quiet word, little Sofia moved down the line and Leonor took her place next to the monarch.

The two Sofias at Mass in Mallorca on Easter Sunday 2014

The final line up showed the future of Spain's royals.  Next to the king, the girl who will inherit his throne.  A couple of places down, the little girl who will probably never be queen but who is still several seats ahead of Juan Carlos' eldest child, Elena, who was took her own position at the end of the row.

Three Infantas, three destinies - Leonor, Sofia and Elena on Easter Sunday 2014

Spain's monarchy still has to officially change the law to allow the eldest child to succeed, regardless of gender, although it is unlikely that the issue will become urgent in this generation.  A change at the time that many other monarchies altered their succession laws might have reversed the line up in Mallorca this morning.  But the photo of the family on Easter Day is a reminder that these three Infantas have three very different destinies.