At the same time that her sister Leonor began her Top Gun era, the infanta Sofia began a new stage at the opposite end of the peninsula. Lisbon’s beauty has become the new home of the Kings Felipe and Letizia’s youngest daughter during the 2025/2026 academic year. Forward College is the avant-garde university where Sofia is pursuing the first year of her degree in Political Science and International Relations. The next two courses will have her packing her bags to the campuses in Paris and Berlin.
In a 2026 that promises to be full of challenges for Infanta Sofia, her academic future is one of her top priorities. After graduating from the UWC Atlantic College in Wales with the International Baccalaureate, she decided to continue studying abroad like most of her peers. And at Forward College in Lisbon she found a perfect destination for her. Political Science, Philosophy, History and Business are some of the subjects she tackles during this first year at a center that accepts one application for every eleven submitted and that brings together students from 40 nationalities in its classrooms.
Both in classes and in her student residence, Infanta Sofia can enjoy relative anonymity. The royal family is doing everything possible to keep the sister of Princess Leonor as inconspicuous as possible. She has hardly shared a collection of images of the young royal at various tourist spots in Lisbon. And the infanta never appears in the photographs that Forward College shares regularly on its social networks.
This circumstance has allowed Infanta Sofia to enjoy a quiet stay in the Portuguese capital during these months. A stay that is already nearing its end. After the Easter holidays, she will face final exams in early June and the 19th of that month will be her last day on the Lisbon campus.
The Infanta Sofia’s Routine in Lisbon
A large library, a kitchen, a meditation room and a 200 m2 terrace are among the main attractions of Forward College in Lisbon where Infanta Sofia studies. There the classes are in English, something that is no obstacle for her after her two years in Wales. Groups are only fifteen students per class and the educational plan blends theoretical subjects with exercises to develop social and digital skills. For greater convenience, the young woman lives in the student residence away from the campus itself, about half an hour away.
Infanta Sofia in Lisbon.
The modern temporary home of Infanta Sofia is located in the Benfica neighborhood and has 24-hour security. The kitchen is shared, but the rooms are individual and have private bathrooms and natural light. The decoration of the rooms is simple and functional. Integrated into her multicultural circle as another student, her classes begin at nine in the morning, so she does not have to endure the strict military-style early mornings of her sister Leonor. Although she cannot get distracted, because attendance at classes is mandatory and punctuality is highly valued.
Infanta Sofia’s classes end at one in the afternoon and she usually has lunch at a restaurant near the university. For her leisure time, Forward College offers multiple options. Former students have already established clubs to carry out activities such as surfing, doing yoga or signing up for a reading club. Social events on campus are also organized, such as cooking contests, debates on equality and cultural diversity, and a charity ball.
Infanta Sofia and Her Important Decision
Among the various seminars and projects that make up Infanta Sofia’s educational plan, there are also lectures by prominent figures. The latest to speak at Forward College has been Teresa Anjinho, the European Ombudsman. It was the center itself that highlighted this visit on its social networks, stating that “she provided our students with a clear understanding of how her office contributes to accountability and trust in the Union.” This was a great opportunity for Sofia and her classmates to “generate interesting debates and ask insightful questions.”
Now Infanta Sofia will have to take an important decision regarding her academic future. The daughter of the kings of Spain can choose three types of itineraries: Sustainability and social impact entrepreneurship, Digital entrepreneurship, or Research project. A choice that can be fundamental for the moment she enters the labor market.
