Princess Leonor, heir to the throne of Spain, is finding out fast that being a first in line on the brink of turning 20 means your every move is up for analysis. So this smart princess made sure her latest moves were all about her granny and everyone liked her even more for it.
The granny in question is Queen Sofia of Spain, easily the most popular member of that royal dynasty. She has been for decades now. Sofia brings all kinds of regal to the royal mix being the daughter and sister of two kings as well as the wife and mother of two more. And that's before we get to the super blue blood flowing in those veins. Add on a work ethic that kept Princess Anne on her toes back in the day and a popular touch that many would crave and you have the perfect recipe for a much loved royal. And Leonor just showed that no one loves or appreciates her more than, well, Leonor,
The two were together for one of the biggest nights in Spain's royal calendar. Every year, the family welcome hundreds of dignitaries to the Marivent Palace for a special reception. It's the place to be seen on a summer's evening in Spain and, for the first time, Leonor attended. The 19 year old made her debut alongside her younger sister, 18 year old Infanta Sofia, and while there was much excitement about the heir and the spare appearing for the first time, there was just as much anticipation at Queen Sofia's appearance.
She's 86 now and has scaled back her public engagements in recent months but this is a must do in her royal diary and despite chatter before hand that she might not be there this time round, Queen Sofia didn't disappoint. She walked arm in arm with her granddaughters across one of the beautiful terraces of Marivent and the three women found themselves the subject of every photographer's lens. They stuck together for the handshaking - and there is a lot of handshaking at this event - before circulating in a trio through the assembled guests.
It was a proud moment for Queen Sofia who has had more than her fair share of hard work to do to keep her dynasty going. Sofia started the Marivent reception with her husband, King Juan Carlos. He's now in self imposed exile after a string of scandals and is watching the reign of their son, King Felipe, develop from afar after abdicating in his favour in 2014. Queen Sofia has been a constant since the restoration of the Spanish monarchy in 1975 after the death of the dictator, Francisco Franco. Now, half a century on, she gets to se the next generation take on the roles that she and they hope will secure the throne for the future.
There's been much talk in Spain over the past years of the future being Leonor. It is, the hopes of a dynasty rest on her shoulders. The evening in Mallorca showed she's a pretty astute queen in waiting and she has, waiting at her side, another queen who has more than enough experience in keeping a crown even when others are wobbling. They are quite the duo and winning plenty of hearts while they're at it.
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