The importance of succession to the crown
The Royal Family has a problem with members who are not the trunk, the straight line in succession to the crown. The three essential figures for the monarchy are John Charles, Philip and Eleonor, the kings in direct line. The rest are consorts, political family or substitutes just in case. The Marichalar and the Urdangarin count only because they paint something in the successional but distant line. The intermediate figure is the substitute: the infanta Sofia. His role, even when conceiving her, is this: to reign in case Eleonor fails. She is the only minor in the House and her future is written by the higher authorities, like Eleonor’s. They have already made him take the first step: study Baccalaureate in Wales. But then what?
The future of Infanta Sofia
If they want her to follow in Eleanor’s footsteps, after Wales Sofia should do three years in the three armies and then go to University. It’s not written anywhere that she has to do it and a lot of the press takes it for granted because Sofia is the perfect substitute and because they promote the stay at the Military Academies as a prodigy in a girl’s education. For the first time, someone with some weight in the Royal House, the previous boss Jaime Alfonsín, has made public the role they have reserved for Sofia, and you can rest easy: this August he will not join the Army.
Zarzuela’s decision
Jaime Alfonsín has declared that, if Sofia wants to play an institutional role as an adult as the Queen’s sister, representing the Crown and presiding over official events, she will not be able to combine it with a job in the private sector. This decision is considered discriminatory by Sofia and resembles the restrictions imposed on the children Elena and Cristina in the past. While previous girls were able to be both in the private and public sectors, Sofia will not have that opportunity. This limits her options and condemns her to living a life of lies, unable to work in pursuit of her vocation.
conclusion
Zarzuela’s decision in relation to Infanta Sofia is considered discriminatory and limits her options for personal and professional development. While other members of the Royal Family have had the freedom to work in the private sector and at the same time exercise an institutional role, Sofia will not have that opportunity. This situation raises questions about equal opportunities within the Royal House and the differential treatment of members who are not in the direct line of succession to the crown.
