The inhabitants of Spain and much of Europe have been very surprised to learn the latest and moving news about Queen Sofía. According to a new survey, the emeritus queen has managed to win the support of the Spanish people.
There is no doubt that Felipe VI's mother remains one of the symbolic pillars of the royal house of our country. Even though her increasingly limited presence at official events continues, she remains one of the most highly regarded figures among the public.
According to the Fifth Borbón Report prepared by the IMOP Insights Institute for Vanitatis, Queen Sofía keeps an average score of 6 out of 10. With this score, she has managed to match both Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofía.
However, her popularity has shown a progressive decline since 2019, when she received a 6.7 in the first edition of the report. Nevertheless, despite this figure, that year the emeritus queen was the most highly regarded figure in the royal house, even above her son.
In 2021, Queen Sofía's rating dropped to 6.4 and in 2022 it was reduced to 6, a score she has kept for the past three years. This trend seems to reflect a gradual loss of institutional relevance.
Queen Sofía surprises after managing to win the affection and support of the Spanish people
Despite this decline, the general perception of Queen Sofía remains mostly positive. Today, her image continues to be associated with discretion, respect, and consistency.
These qualities have helped keep her prestige intact, even in potentially delicate circumstances, including her relationship with King Juan Carlos. As expected, the public rating of the emeritus king has been the lowest in the entire royal family, with a 2.4.
In fact, Queen Sofía's husband has received a score of 0 from 46.5% of those surveyed. However, she has managed to distance her image from the controversies surrounding her husband.
Meanwhile, the tie between the emeritus queen and Queen Letizia is explained by the evolution of their respective scores in two key parameters: gender and age. Among women, the current queen has received an average of 6.5, while her mother-in-law has obtained a 6.1.
However, among men the situation is slightly different. While Queen Sofía has obtained a 5.8, Felipe VI's wife has fallen behind her with a 5.5.
In the analysis by age group, the results are also different. Among those under 35 years old, the emeritus queen fails with a 4.8, while Doña Letizia gets a 5.8. But from that age on, Queen Sofía's rating improves notably.
In the 35 to 54 age group, she has reached a 6.5, surpassing Letizia's 6.3. Among those over 54 years old, Queen Sofía has received a 6.2 compared to Doña Letizia's 5.8, thus consolidating her support among the older segments.
The report also reveals that the emeritus queen's institutional role continues to be valued by a significant part of the public. 43.4% of those surveyed believe that her presence at public events benefits the image of the monarchy.
However, there is also an ongoing debate about her current role. 29.6% of the population believe that, due to her age, she should limit her participation to occasional events.
In addition, 26.9% think that her relationship with the emeritus king may harm the institution. This critical perception is especially pronounced in regions such as Galicia, where disapproval of Juan Carlos I is stronger.
As for citizens who identify as republicans, 42.9% believe that Sofía should reduce her public visibility. In contrast, supporters of the monarchy value her figure positively, with 66.4%.