| Date: | 14 May 1962 |
| Venue: | Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens Royal Palace of Athens |
| Location: | Athens, Kingdom of Greece |
The wedding of Juan Carlos, Prince of Asturias, and Princess Sofía of Greece and Denmark took place on Monday, 14 May 1962. The couple was married in three ceremonies: one according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, the groom's faith, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite; one according to the rites of the Greek Orthodox Church, the bride's faith, at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens; and a third civil ceremony that was held upon their return to the Royal Palace. Don Juan Carlos was the eldest son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, pretender to the Spanish throne, and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, while Princess Sofía was the eldest daughter of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece. Juan Carlos and Sofía were king and queen of Spain from 1975 until his abdication in 2014.
Juan Carlos, who then held the title of Prince of Asturias in pretense, and Princess Sofía of Greece and Denmark, third cousins through Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, first met in 1954 on a cruise in the Greek Islands on board the liner SS Agamemnon. The cruise was organized by Queen Frederica with the intent of promoting Greek tourism and encourage matches among the younger generation of European royalty. The couple reconnected at the wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Katharine Worsley in June 1961.[2]
They became engaged three months after the Kent's wedding. The engagement was announced on 13 September 1961 at the home of Juan Carlos's paternal grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenie, in Lausanne.[3] Juan Carlos gave Sofía a ring made from melted down ancient Greek coins. When he presented her with the ring, he tossed the box at her and said "Sofi, catch it!"[4]
The uncertain position of Juan Carlos as a prince from a deposed dynasty made him a controversial choice as a future husband for a princess from a reigning family. Spanish monarchists rejoiced at the betrothal as they believed it increased the realism for the prospect of restoration following Franco's demise.
From the outset, the difference in religion caused friction on both sides. A compromise was eventually reached: two ceremonies would be held, Sofía would convert to Catholicism, and she would use the Spanish variant of her name, Sofía. Pope John XXIII allowed two ceremonies as the Greek Orthodox Church was the state religion.[5] Spanish media was requested by Franco not to cover the Greek Orthodox ceremony.
The prospect of a state-funded dowry for Princess Sofía caused controversy in Greece.[6] The Hellenic Parliament approved a $300,000 tax-free dowry for the princess. The Centre Union and United Democratic Left parties abstained from voting but voiced their criticism and "denounced the practice of granting dowries as anachronistic and barbarous."[7] King Paul and Queen Frederica also sold land from their estates to pay for their daughter's dowry.[8]
On 12 May 1962, a white-tie gala was held at the Royal Palace to celebrate the impending wedding. An addition to the palace was built to house a new ballroom for the wedding celebrations. Called the Reception Hall, it is the largest room in the present-day Presidential Mansion.[9]
Due to the large number of dignitaries attending the wedding, some only attended one of the two ceremonies. The first ceremony began at 10:00 AM and was held according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite. The marriage was performed by Venediktos Printesis, Archbishop of Athens. The Mass was said in Spanish, Latin and French. Pieces from Mozart's Coronation Mass were sung, at the bride's request.
The second ceremony, held at 12:00 PM at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, was conducted by Chrysostomos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. King Paul, the bride's father, performed the ritual of the two crowns. Other crown bearers were Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, the Duke of Aosta, the Prince of Naples, the Duke of Noto, Prince Ludwig of Baden, Don Marco Alfonso Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi and Prince Christian Oscar of Hanover.
A civil ceremony was performed at the Royal Palace following the two religious services.
The bride wore a silver and white lamé gown covered in tulle and antique lace with a train designed by Greek-born Parisian couturier, Jean Dessès. She also made a £7000 trousseau order at Dessès.[8]
The bride wore the Belgian lace veil her mother wore at her own wedding in 1938 and a diamond tiara that Kaiser Wilhelm II presented to his daughter, Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, the bride's maternal grandmother, on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Ernst August of Hanover in 1913.
The groom wore his Spanish Army uniform with the insignia of the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece and the Order of Charles III and the Greek Order of the Redeemer.[10]
Juan Carlos's cousin, the Duke of Noto, acted as best man. Princess Sofía was attended by eight bridesmaids, all of royal birth:[8]
As television had not yet arrived in Greece –it arrived in 1966–, it was decided to use the services of the European Broadcasting Union to record the wedding on tape which was then sent to Rome, from where it was relayed to the broadcasters in the continent through the Eurovision network.[11]
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, the bride's first cousin once removed and widow of the groom's second cousin once removed (representing the Queen of the United Kingdom) Princess Alexandra of Kent, the bride's second cousin and the groom's third cousin Prince Michael of Kent, the bride's second cousin and the groom's third cousin
The Queen of Denmark, the bride and groom's mutual second cousin once removed[12] (representing the King of Denmark) Princess Margrethe of Denmark, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin Princess Benedikte of Denmark, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin
The Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, the groom's fourth cousin once removed, and his wife
The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the groom's fourth cousin and the bride's third cousin (representing the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg)
The Prince and Princess of Monaco, the groom's fifth cousin once removed, and his wife
The King of Norway, the bride and groom's mutual second cousin once removed
The Duchess of Västerbotten, the bride and groom's mutual second cousin once removed (representing the King of Sweden) Princess Margaretha of Sweden, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin Princess Désirée of Sweden, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin Princess Christina of Sweden, the bride and groom's mutual third cousin The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the groom's first cousin twice removed (and the bride's second cousin, once removed)As of 2022, Juan Carlos and Sofía have been married for 60 years. They have three children, Elena (born 1963), Cristina (born 1965) and Felipe (born 1968), current King of Spain. In 1975, the pair acceded to the Spanish throne following the death of Francisco Franco. They reigned for nearly 39 years until his abdication in 2014.[13] They have lived separately since August 2020 when Juan Carlos left Spain in exile amid corruption accusations.[14]
The couple travelled extensively on their honeymoon. They initially set out on a yacht cruise around the Greek islands. Further destinations included Spain, Monaco, Italy, India, Thailand, the United States and Japan. In Italy, they had an audience with Pope John XXIII. In the United States, they met with President John F. Kennedy. While the couple were away, Franco and the Count of Barcelona were in talks about the future of the Spanish monarchy and neither party could agree on where the young couple should live.
Eventually, they returned to Spain where they settled in the Palace of Zarzuela. They would live at Zarzuela for the next 58 years until Juan Carlos left Spain in exile. It is unclear whether Queen Sofía will remain living there or not.
In Spain, Franco allowed No-Do and three major newspapers to cover the wedding.[15] Footage of the wedding was also shown on Televisión Española. However, no images of the groom's father, the Count of Barcelona, who was on bad terms with Franco, were allowed to be shown. Spanish monarchists rejoiced at the marriage.
Franco bestowed the Order of Charles III on both Juan Carlos and Sofía.[16]
As this wedding brought together many young, unmarried nobles, many more royal weddings came about as a result. Among the couples who met or became better acquainted at the wedding who later married: