The Charm of Queen Sofia of Spain

CEBU, Philippines - Her charisma is legendary. Queen Sofia of Spain, the 73-year-old consort of King Juan Carlos I, has endeared herself to the Spanish people much like another beloved royal, the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of England.

Most may have only seen her on the pages of the popular weekly magazine ¡Hola!, for which she continues to be a favorite cover subject, or the Televisión Española, where her charitable projects are well documented, but at a recent reception hosted by the Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq, guests were able to experience her warmth firsthand. The Queen was here on a five-day visit to tour Spanish-funded projects around the country and local landmarks in the capital city such as the National Library, National Museum, and the University of Santo Tomas, a Royal University under the patronage of the Spanish monarchy.

Though there was an assembly of well-wishers eagerly waiting to meet her-attendees filled every nook of the ambassador's sprawling residence, spilling over from the living room to the anterooms, veranda, and garden-the Queen made certain to reach out to everyone, lavishing upon them, even for the briefest moment, her trademark graciousness. She won the hearts of over 500 guests, most of whom were from the local Spanish community. These included Cebuanos such as Anton Perdices and his wife Maripaz, Mila Wales, and Jaime Picornell, Honorary Consul of Spain based in Cebu, and his wife Cecilia. The queen had met the Picornells before in previous trips to Cebu. There were also several Spanish priests and nuns from religious orders, as well as members of Catholic groups.

Having witnessed this in the past, I can heartwarmingly say that Queen Sofia has not changed at all. During my 13-year stint as the Regional Director for Europe for the national tourist office based in London, I would attend FITUR, the biggest international travel fair in Spain held annually in Madrid. I remember how the Queen and King Juan Carlos would open the expo as Guests of Honor. Every year, they would always find the time to stop by the Philippine booth and have a little chat about las islas Filipinas that they adore so much.