The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, hosted Infanta Sofía of Spain at the Belém Palace this Friday, marking the Spanish princess’s “first official meeting with a foreign head of state.”
“The President of the Republic received Her Royal Highness Infanta Dona Sofía at the Belém Palace, who is currently studying and residing in Lisbon,” announced the Presidency of the Republic on its website.
Infanta Sofía, aged 18, relocated to Lisbon last September to study Political Science and International Relations at Forward College.
During the first “official meeting with a foreign head of state,” Infanta Dona Sofía was welcomed by the President at the Sala das Bicas for an official photo, followed by signing the Book of Honor.
The visit included a tour of the Belém Palace, where Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and “Her Royal Highness Infanta Dona Sofía” discussed the “historical past and the close partnership that binds” Portugal and Spain.
The conversation further delved into “the deep empathy and friendship between the Portuguese and Spanish peoples, as well as the present and future challenges facing new generations.”
It is noteworthy that in the previous year, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa hosted the Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, the heir to the Spanish throne and older sister of Infanta Sofía.
The meeting took place on July 12, 2024, at the Belém Palace and was Princess Leonor’s first official international visit as the eldest daughter of Spain’s King Felipe VI.
At that time, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa awarded Princess Leonor the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, recognizing distinguished services rendered to the country while exercising sovereignty functions.
Images from the meeting between Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Infanta Sofía can be viewed in the gallery above.
Infanta Sofía, the youngest daughter of the Spanish monarchs, is preparing to enroll at Forward College. In her first year, starting in September, she will study in Lisbon, in the Chiado area.
Mariline Direito Rodrigues | 11:34 – 18/07/2025
