A historical conflict
Sofía de Grecia and Carmen Cervera have maintained a tense relationship over the years. The origin of this conflict has a proper name: Juan Carlos de Borbón. Carmen Cervera’s marriage to Baron Thyssen brought her closer to the Spanish royal family, but she has only received the affection of the king emeritus. Since they met in Mallorca decades ago, Sofía has held a grudge against Carmen due to a flirtation that was reflected in photographs of her.
Juan Carlos’s interest
According to Pilar Eyre, Juan Carlos was attracted to Carmen Cervera due to her qualities. He saw her as a tall, blonde, elegant, vital and cheerful woman, and a rumor quickly spread that the king admired her.
The meeting in Mallorca
At a dinner in Mallorca, Sofía witnessed a moment that made Juan Carlos’ interest in Carmen clear. According to Pilar Eyre, a friend of Carmen Cervera who was also present at the dinner, reported that as Carmen passed by the royal family’s table, Juan Carlos gave her an eloquent look. Sofia, upon realizing this, lowered her gaze with a hard expression, which made one suspect that there could be problems in the future.
The distancing
This moment marked a before and after in the relationship between the Bourbons and Carmen Cervera. Sofía decided not to attend the opening of Carmen’s house in Madrid, which became a public gesture of rejection and was the topic of conversation throughout the capital.
Avoiding meeting in public
Since then, Sofía and Carmen have avoided meeting at public events. Although Carmen is well regarded by most of her, Sofia despises her and refers to her as ‘that courtesan’. According to Pilar Eyre, this could be the reason why Carmen was not invited to Felipe and Letizia’s wedding, due to Sofía’s outright refusal. There is an unwritten instruction not to invite Carmen if Sofía attends an event.
Juan Carlos’s past
The tension between Sofía and Carmen is due to the lascivious look that Juan Carlos would have given to Carmen. If Sofia had to make a list of all the women that her husband has liked, it would be very long and she would be full of non grata people.