The future Queen of Spain, daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, will take part in the country’s annual military parade for the first time tomorrow.
Princess Leonor, who turned 18 in October, will attend the prestigious ceremony with her parents. The Pascua Militar ceremony, which took place at the Royal Palace in Madrid on Saturday, also commemorates the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as King’s Day, which is also a national holiday in Spain.
The King will return to official duties this weekend after a two-week Christmas break.
It will be the first time a teenage heir to the throne has taken part in the parade, which dates back to the 18th century, and her appearance is a sign that the young princess is embracing her role in public life.
The future Queen of Spain, who turned 18 on October 31, is undergoing solo appearances and training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza to prepare for her future in the monarchy.
The royal family and their younger sister Queen Sofia, 16, have taken on more prominent roles as they’ve grown up, often giving speeches at the Princess of Asturias Awards each year and being the star of family outings.
Unlike Prince Christian of Denmark, who is only two weeks older than her and a future European monarch, Leonor’s 18th birthday celebrations were decidedly subdued.
heir to the Spanish throne sworn to the Constitution of this country by the Congress and the Senate; of royal mint We created a limited edition 40 euro coin to commemorate Spain’s girlfriend’s birthday.
Up to 1 million coins were put into circulation by the Bank of Spain.
The coin weighs 18 grams, is made of a mixture of silver and copper, and is engraved with the portrait of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias.
The boy recently underwent military training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza.
The school, known as the Spanish Sandhurst School, followed a strict timetable, but the princess was able to go home on weekends if she didn’t have to travel.
Before entering the Academy, she headed to Gironda with her sister Sofia to perform her first engagement without her parents.
She also established herself professionally at the Princess of Asturias Awards.
The UNESCO-endorsed awards recognize scientific, technological, cultural, social and humanitarian work. She has been speaking at conventions since she was 13 years old.
After spending a year in Zaragoza, the princess will move on to the Naval Academy and then spend her third and final year of training at the General Aviation Academy.
When the heir to the Spanish throne becomes monarch, he becomes the supreme commander of the military.
Snapshots shared by the royal family last month suggest this is a role Leonor is comfortable with, even though she said she was “a little nervous” when she was dropped off at the military academy. ing.
One photo taken during the training shows the princess smiling with her fellow cadets, wearing military uniform and holding what appears to be an automatic rifle.
Another photo shows her posing with fellow students in camouflage and protective gear.
The Princess revealed her enthusiasm for becoming a cadet at the Princesa de Girona Foundation awards ceremony held in Girona, Catalonia on July 5th.
“I just graduated from high school and am about to embark on a new phase of military training,” she said.
“I am very happy because I know how much the Spaniards value our military…This is an important moment in my life and I am very excited and determined to continue learning and doing my best.” doing.”
Meanwhile, to celebrate her 18th birthday, Princess Leonor will also receive the symbolic collar of the Order of Charles III from her father on her birthday.
The collar is a historic gift created by Charles III in 1771, representing Princess Leonor’s possible accession to the throne someday.
King Felipe VI was awarded the collar of the Order of Charles III on his 18th birthday in January 1986.
It will be presented to Princess Leonor in a ceremony attended by the royal family, senators and elected representatives. This is the second honor the Princess of Asturias has received from her father, King Felipe VI.
In 2015, the day before her 10th birthday, he awarded her the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Order of the Golden Fleece is a Catholic order founded by the Dukes of Burgundy in 1430.
Princess Leonor’s 18th birthday celebrations mark the end of a busy month for the heir to the Spanish throne.
Before attending the military academy, Princess Leonor was a student at UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan County, Wales.
The school is often referred to as “hippie Hogwarts” due to its progressive approach to education and picturesque castle setting.
Leonor’s younger sister, Infanta Sofia (16) from Spain, started studying at UWC Atlantic this fall.
Last September, the Spanish Palace announced that Princess Leonor would go to university to study law after completing three years of military training.
It is unclear which university Leonor chose, but the princess’ educational background already resembles that of her father, King Felipe.
After graduating from high school at Lakefield University in Canada, Felipe returned to Spain and attended the General Military Academy in Saragoso and studied at the Naval Academy in Marin.
He completed his training by completing training at the General Aviation Academy in San Javier.
He also completed military training in 1987 at the age of 18 at the store Juan Sebastian Elcano and studied law at the Autonomous University of Madrid.