The media portrayal of Queen Sofia of Greece in Spanish newspapers. Analysis of the press coverage of Queen Sofia in El País and El Mundo, May 2011 to August 2012

Abstract

This paper focuses on the narrative presented of Queen Sofia of Greece in Spanish dailies during the last years of the reign of King Juan Carlos I. The King’s wife occupies a prominent yet legally undefined place in Spanish public life. Consequently, this position depends strongly on how the media represent her. The main objective of this study is to highlight the characteristic elements of the Queen’s image and to analyze the role that the media assigned to her, taking into consideration the evolution which may have taken place in this image and role due to the series of  scandals which broke out in 2012, marking the beginning of the so-called annus horribilis. The research is based on the analysis of a selection of articles from two dailies, El País and El Mundo, published between May 2011 and August 2012. The authors applied the methods of content analysis and semiotic analysis.

KEYWORDS: Spanish Crown, Queen Sofia of Greece, Spanish newspapers, press, political communication, political celebrity.