Who is the Princess of Asturias? And why is Spain gripped by ‘Leonormania’? This heir apparent will be the first queen in 150 years. And she’s handy with a gun…
‘Leonormania’ has taken hold as Spain prepares to celebrate the 18th birthday of Princess Leonor, heir to the throne, with a major state ceremony.
Speculation is increasing about who will be invited on Tuesday when the Princess of Astorias, as she is formally known, will swear allegiance to the Spanish constitution.
Despite sharp political divisions, reports from Spain suggest the country is largely united behind the young princess, who is currently undergoing military training as a Cadet Borbon.
Recent changes to primogeniture rules mean that we can also expect queens on the throne in a number of European countries, including Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. Queen Margrethe is currently sovereign over Denmark.
The law has not changed in Spain, where the monarchy still gives preference to the first-born boy. But it seems unlikely that Leonor will have a baby brother at this stage.
Princess Leonor of Spain turns 18 this week. She will be one of six European queens for decades to come
Princess Leonor takes part in the presentation of cadets to the Virgin of Pilar in the Basilica of the Patron Saint of Hispanity at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza in October 2023
If Leonor takes the throne, she will make history as the first queen of Spain since Isabella II
Princess Leonor smiles at Meryl Streep during this year’s Princess of Asturias Awards
Queen Letizia of Spain and Crown Princess Leonor of Spain attend a concert ahead of the “Princesa De Asturias” Awards 2023
During her speech last week, the princess described the oath-taking as an honor: “I understand very well and am aware of what my duty is and what my responsibilities entail,” she told the Spanish audience.
Born on October 31, 2005 at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid, Leonor is the eldest daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and is formally called Princess of Asturias.
If Leonor ascends the throne, she will make history as the first queen of Spain since her fourth great-grandmother Isabella II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868. She will be only the second queen in the history of united Spain.
Princess Leonor was born in 2005 at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid
King Felipe with his daughter Princess Leonor during their summer holiday in 2006
Felipe and Letizia with their daughter on her first day of school in 2008
Leonor is followed in the line of succession by her sister, Princess Sofía, who is two years her junior.
The princess made her first public speech in 2018, when she was just 13 years old, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution.
In 2019, she gave an impressive speech at the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards in Barcelona in four languages: Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic.
Not only did she inherit her mother’s refined sense of style, but she also reportedly learned to play tennis, sail, practice gymnastics and play the cello.
The royal made her first solo appearance without her mother and father at the age of 15 when she chaired the 30th anniversary of the Cervantes Institute in Madrid in 2021.
She was welcomed by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Carmen Calvo, and the director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, who sat in the front row at the event.
Princess Leonor pledges allegiance to the flag as she officially begins three-year military training in preparation for her future as the country’s head of state
King Felipe and his daughter Crown Princess Leonor salute the flag during the Spanish National Day military parade in Madrid, October 2023
Six months later, the princess left for Wales to study at the private Atlantic College.
Leonor enrolled on a £67,000 two-year course to study for her International Baccalaureate diploma at the school, which she has now completed.
Meanwhile, Leonor recently attended the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, where she is undergoing a three-year course.
In preparation for her role as head of state and commander-in-chief of Spain’s armed forces, Leonor must complete the three years of tradition as she follows in the path of her father, King Felipe.
After training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, Spain’s equivalent of Sandhurst, she entered the naval school and completed her three years at the General Air Academy.
The composed princess made her first public speech in 2018, when she was 13 years old, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution
Leonor follows in the line of succession her sister, Infanta Sofía, (right), who is two years younger than her
Not only did she inherit her mother’s refined sense of style, but she also reportedly learned to play tennis, sail, practice gymnastics and play the cello.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and his daughter Princess Leonor pictured posing in the gardens of the Marivent Palace on the island of Mallorca in August 2019
Princess Leonor at UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, where she studied for two years
Leonor recently attended the General Military Academy in Zaragoza as she begins a three-year training course
She will become commander-in-chief of the armed forces once she becomes Spanish monarch
The Princess revealed her enthusiasm to soon become a cadet at the Princesa de Girona Foundation awards ceremony in Girona, Catalonia, on July 5.
She said: “I have just finished high school and am about to start a new phase with a period of military training.
“I am happy because I know how much the Spaniards appreciate our armed forces… it is an important moment in my life and I feel very excited and determined to keep learning and doing my best.”
It was also revealed that the young princess would study law at university once her training with the military was complete, although her choice of university has not yet been revealed.