{"id":38783,"date":"2026-06-11T18:11:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/38783\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:11:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:11:21","slug":"princess-leonor-and-infanta-sofia-reunite-in-madrid-expert-says-they-are-thick-as-thieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/38783\/","title":{"rendered":"Princess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda reunite in Madrid: Expert says they are ‘thick as thieves’"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Princess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda, welcoming the Pope to Madrid was not only an official state occasion but also a deeply personal moment. It was a reunion between two sisters who had not seen each other for two months.<\/p>\n

The heir to the throne is currently completing the final stage of her third and last year of military training in San Javier, within the Air and Space Force, where she has undertaken an intensive programme that has even included parachute jumps and piloting a combat aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Princess\u00a9 Carlos AlvarezPrincess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda walking closely together, reflecting their strong sisterly bond.<\/p>\n

Infanta Sof\u00eda, meanwhile, is in the final stretch of her degree in Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, based at the Lisbon campus.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop of demanding academic and institutional commitments, the Holy Father\u2019s visit proved to be a rare and meaningful opportunity for the sisters to come together again.<\/p>\n

\"Leonor\u00a9 Carlos AlvarezLeonor and Sof\u00eda seen in a moment of quiet connection amid official ceremonial proceedings.
\nTwo months apart:<\/p>\n

The daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia had not been seen together in public for two months, since Easter Week, when the family last appeared together during the Good Friday procession in Carabanchel (Madrid).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A\u00a9 Carlos AlvarezA candid moment between the royal sisters, noted for their close and affectionate relationship.<\/p>\n

Despite living in different cities, one in Murcia and the other in Lisbon, the passage of time appears to have done little to alter their unusually close bond.<\/p>\n

According to Jos\u00e9 Luis Mart\u00edn Ovejero, a specialist in non-verbal communication who spoke to \u00a1HOLA! Spain, their relationship remains \u201cexceptional,\u201d describing them as \u201cvery much in tune\u201d and \u201cinseparable.\u201d He adds that the sisters are \u201cvery much in sync\u201d and continue to display an unusually strong connection despite their physical distance and demanding schedules.<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a9 JAVIER SORIANOThe daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia reunited at a high-profile state event in the Spanish capital.
\n\u201cAlways finding each other\u201d<\/p>\n

In many of the ceremonial moments they attend together, such as the Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, and again this Sunday at the Cibeles Square mass for the Pope, the Princess of Asturias is often seen taking her sister\u2019s arm when navigating stairs.<\/p>\n

\"Princess\u00a9 Europa Press NewsPrincess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda during the Pope\u2019s visit in Madrid, sharing a rare public moment together.<\/p>\n

According to Mart\u00edn Ovejero, this gesture goes beyond etiquette. It represents \u201cnot only physical support, but emotional and even vital support.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds that the sisters are so closely attuned that even in the most formal, highly protocol-driven settings, \u201cthey seek each other out with their gaze and always find each other. They do not avoid eye contact; they speak, they laugh, and there is clear complicity between them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Princess\u00a9 Carlos AlvarezPrincess Sofia of Spain and Crown Princess Leonor of Spain attend a welcome ceremony with His Holiness the Pope Leo XIV in Welcome Ceremony at Royal Palace
\nMirror behaviour:<\/p>\n

The expert also highlights what he describes as \u201cmirror postures\u201d between the two. \u201cThey replicate each other\u2019s body language, which reflects emotional alignment and mental synchrony.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they are not linked arm-in-arm, they remain noticeably close, so much so that, he notes, \u201cthey could easily create more distance, but they choose not to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Infanta\u00a9 AnadoluInfanta Sofia, Princess of Asturias Leonor and Queen Letizia of Spain attend the departure ceremony of Pope Leo XIV <\/p>\n

In general terms, he explains, people tend to physically distance themselves when there is no emotional connection. \u201cIt is an unconscious mechanism of the brain,\u201d he says, \u201cyet in their case, they remain almost inseparable. In short, they are thick as thieves.\u201d<\/p>\n

A more relaxed public glimpse:<\/p>\n

Beyond the official receptions at the Royal Palace and the mass in Cibeles, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda were also seen spending a more informal afternoon with friends at a Bad Bunny concert in Madrid.<\/p>\n

Captured enjoying the show from a private box, they appeared in casual attire, laughing, dancing, and singing along to the artist\u2019s biggest hits.<\/p>\n

It was yet another reminder that away from protocol and public duty, the sisters remain not only inseparable members of the Royal Family. But also, quite simply, best friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Princess Leonor and Infanta Sof\u00eda, welcoming the Pope to Madrid was not only an official state occasion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10341,82,18330,9541,286],"class_list":["post-38783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-madrid","tag-infanta-sofia","tag-madrid","tag-prince-leonor","tag-queen-letizia","tag-royals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}