Queen Sofia of Spain breaks down in tears at engagement in Madrid, amid reports she has not been invited to her granddaughter Princess Leonor’s swearing-in ceremony at Congress

Queen Sofia of Spain broke down in tears at her latest appearance – amid reports she has not been invited to her granddaughter Princess Leonor’s swearing-in ceremony at Congress.

The wife of former King Juan Carlos I offered her “very sincere congratulations” to physicist Emilio Lora-Tamayo on Friday when he was named honorary rector for life by Madrid’s Camilo José Cela University.

In a rare emotional moment, the 84-year-old became tearful as she paid tribute to the university professor in her speech. According to local media, the two have been friends for years.

The royal family and Lora-Tamayo, 73, who has to use an oxygen mask and wheelchair due to his poor health, held hands as they left the event.

Sofia’s emotional outburst comes amid reports that Spain’s King Felipe VI has not been invited to Princess Leonor’s swearing-in ceremony at Congress on October 31, the day the heir to the Spanish throne turns 18.

Sources in the Zarzuela Palace told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Sofia will not accompany King Felipe and Queen Letizia to the historic occasion – ‘so as not to discriminate with Juan Carlos I’.

The palace is reportedly trying to prevent the controversial former king, who stepped down in 2014 in favor of his son Felipe, from stealing the spotlight when he arrives in the Spanish capital for ‘just seven hours’.

Although neither Juan Carlos, who lives in exile in the United Arab Emirates, nor Sofia will attend tomorrow’s public gatherings, both will attend the private family gatherings after the event.

Palace sources said the ‘solution was amicable from the first moment’ between Juan Carlos and Felipe The debate.

Juan Carlos was once one of Spain’s most respected public figures for his role in the country’s return to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But in the later years of his reign, scandals surrounding the Spanish royal family began to pile up, forcing him to abdicate in favor of his son, King Felipe.

Earlier this month he won a bid to end a £126million High Court battle with his Danish ex-lover, who accused him of spying on and harassing her.

Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, in her late 50s, claimed the former royal family had caused her ‘great mental pain’.

Juan Carlos, 85, has denied wrongdoing and disputed the claims against him, arguing they are not “viable.”

In a ruling from the High Court in London, Judge Rowena Collins Rice said the court “lacks jurisdiction to hear this claim” because it was brought against the suspect outside his country of residence.

She added that Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn “has not sufficiently demonstrated that the ‘harmful event’ she complains about – harassment by the defendant – occurred in England.”

In a statement, Juan Carlos said he welcomed the judge’s decision. Meanwhile, Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn said she was “deeply disappointed”.

When Juan Carlos abdicated, he told his subjects: ‘I have decided to end my government and abdicate the crown of Spain. A new generation is rightly demanding the leading role.’

On the way out, he also took a swipe at then-Prince Charles, saying: “We don’t want my son to waste away waiting like Prince Charles.”

In August 2020, after six years out of the spotlight, Juan Carlos chose to leave Spain because he did not want his personal affairs to undermine the government of his son, King Felipe VI.

Earlier that year, his son had deprived him of an annual allowance of almost 200,000 euros when details of his financial dealings came to light.

And Spain’s Supreme Court had launched an investigation into his alleged involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia just two months before his departure.

The late Saudi King Abdullah is said to have deposited £77 million (85 million euros) into a Swiss bank account that Juan Carlos allegedly had access to. However, the case was eventually dropped.

Last September, Juan Carlos attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, reportedly in defiance of the wishes of the Spanish government and his own son.

Juan Carlos’ granddaughter Leonor, formally known as Princess of Asturias, will swear allegiance to the Spanish constitution on Tuesday, on the occasion of her 18th birthday.

Despite sharp political divisions, reports from Spain suggest the country is largely united behind the young princess, who is currently undergoing military training as a Cadet Borbon.

During her speech last week, the princess described taking the oath as an honor: “I understand very well and am aware of what my duty is and what my responsibilities entail,” she told the Spanish audience.

If Leonor ascends the throne, she will make history as the first queen of Spain since her fourth great-grandmother Isabella II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868. She will be only the second queen in the history of united Spain.

Leonor is followed in the line of succession by her sister, Princess Sofía, who is two years her junior.

Meanwhile, Leonor recently attended the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, where she is undergoing a three-year course.

In preparation for her role as head of state and commander-in-chief of Spain’s armed forces, Leonor must complete the three years of tradition as she follows in the path of her father, King Felipe.

After training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, Spain’s equivalent of Sandhurst, she entered the naval school and completed her three years at the General Air Academy.

The Princess revealed her enthusiasm to soon become a cadet at the Princesa de Girona Foundation awards ceremony in Girona, Catalonia, on July 5.

She said: “I have just finished high school and am about to start a new phase with a period of military training.

“I am happy because I know how much the Spaniards appreciate our armed forces… it is an important moment in my life and I feel very excited and determined to keep learning and doing my best.”

It was also revealed that the young princess would study law at university once her training with the military was complete, although her choice of university has not yet been revealed.