Infanta Sofía delivers first public speech, calls for support for Spain's teachers
The 19-year-old Infanta Sofía, second in line to the Spanish throne, gave her first public address today at a teacher awards ceremony in Zaragoza, with the King, Queen, and Princess Leonor attending unexpectedly.
A first speech with a surprise audience
Infanta Sofía, 19, presided over the first edition of the Docentes Referentes awards at the Monastery of Nuestra Señora de Cogullada in Zaragoza. The event marked her first solo public engagement outside Madrid and her first official speech. In a gesture of support, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Princess Leonor travelled to Zaragoza without prior announcement, sitting in the audience as parents rather than in any official capacity.
The value of teaching
In her address, Sofía drew on a childhood memory of watching the film "Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame", in which an Afghan girl fights for an education. She said the film made her go to school "with renewed enthusiasm every morning". She stressed that teachers are not mere transmitters of data but guides whose work "is of a value and relevance that goes beyond the strategic and enters the essential".
No one chooses to teach for money or for recognition.
Challenges in the classroom
Sofía did not shy away from listing the problems facing Spanish schools: bullying, loss of authority, questioned salaries, early school leaving, classroom ratios, students with special needs, excessive bureaucracy, lack of funding, and educational inclusion. She called on society to support its teachers, describing teaching as one of the best professions.
Building a national network
Earlier in the day, the Infanta joined a working session with the 25 finalist teachers from across Spain. The programme, titled "Create your own constellation", covered leadership, sustainability, inclusive education, educational research, and health education. The event also launched the Docentes Referentes Community, a national network intended to sustain collaboration and innovation into the 2026–2027 school year. The ceremony concluded with grants awarded to five teachers, chosen from the 25 finalists.
