Princess to begin three-year military training: Details

 Queen Letizia  and King Felipe of Spain’s eldest daughter is set to begin military training this year. Casa de S.M. el Rey announced on Tuesday, March 14, that  Princess Leonor ’s three-year military training will start in August after she finishes her International Baccalaureate studies at UWC Atlantic College in Wales at the end of May.

“After completing secondary education, it is necessary to consider the next formative stage of the Princess, taking into account her responsibilities, first as Heiress to the Crown and, later, as future Queen of Spain,” Casa de S.M. el Rey said in a press release. “The Princess of Asturias will start higher education next academic year 2023-2024. To this end, it is established that in this period both her military training –in the broader framework of her military career– and her university training to achieve a degree and, in her case, a postgraduate degree, converge.”

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Leonor’s training period will begin in August in the army at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza. “The following academic year, 2024-2025, will take place in the Navy and will be carried out with the employment of a Midshipman both at the Marín Naval Military School, and on board the Juan Sebastián de Elcano Training Ship, during its training trip,” Casa de S.M. el Rey stated. Leonor will finish her third year “in the Air and Space Army, joining the San Javier General Air Academy for the 2025-2026 academic year as Ensign Student.”

Casa de S.M. el Rey shared that King Felipe and Queen Letizia consider their firstborn’s military training “very convenient and valuable: it reinforces the capacities of service and delivery, and facilitates the representation tasks that she must assume, as Heir to the Crown of Spain, in accordance with the provisions of Title II of the Constitution.”

Casa de S.M. el Rey also noted that the monarchs “welcome this new formative stage of Princess Leonor with the satisfaction of knowing her will, interest and enthusiasm in receiving this training.” The Princess of Asturias is said to be aware of “the demands and sacrifice that military life entails” and also “very aware of the honor of training and serving alongside the men and women of our Armed Forces.”

While Leonor will be beginning her military training, her sister  Infanta Sofia will be following in her footsteps. Queen Letizia and King Felipe announced in February that their youngest daughter will start at the UWC Atlantic College later this year.