Princesses Leonor (17) and Sofia (15) can be seen without their parents on the Spanish royal family’s traditional Christmas card this year. King Felipe VI (54) and Queen Letizia (50) leave the limelight to their offspring.
Leonor, who will one day sit on the throne herself, is hugged by her younger sister Sofia in the photo. She encloses her hands with hers. Both girls laugh at the camera.
Instead of smart dresses, the two wear cozy sweaters. Sofia pairs a white sweater with black stripes and matching jeans. Her sister wears blue jeans and a cream-colored cable-knit sweater. Both wear their long, blond hair down. In the background, brightly colored autumn leaves shine. The photo was taken in the garden of Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023. Sincerely, with best wishes from all of us,” read the Royals’ card. In addition to the two teenagers, King Felipe and Queen Letizia also signed. Although a Christmas card without the king and his wife initially seems unusual, the photo motif has almost become a tradition. In 2022, the family posed as a foursome, but the royal couple was absent in 2020, 2015, 2012 and 2010. However, the daughters of the two seem to be well received by the Spanish people even without their parents.
Sophia of Greece (84) and former king Juan Carlos I (84) also published a Christmas card. However, this does not show the couple living separately, but a biblical picture. The two signed the card together.
