A historic point is about to happen in Spain. The country will now have the first queen in 150 years. The heir to the Spanish throne is Princess Leonor of Asturias, the 20 year old daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Her accession will be the reintroduction of a female king into the throne of Spain after Queen Isabella II had reigned between 1833 and 1868. Leonor is not only a Crown representative; she is being groomed to be a ruler and the leader of the Spanish forces in her role as both a King and the Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the country.
Early Life Experience and Family History.
Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbon y Ortiz was born on 31 October 2005 at 1:46 AM in Ruber International Hospital in Madrid three weeks earlier than the expected date. She was born when her grandfather, King Juan Carlos I, was still alive, which promoted her to be an infanta of Spain and the heir to the throne. The royal family announced her birth through SMS and this style is quite modern but very low key when it comes to her family dealing with media.
Leonor was born into succession of her parents Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia who subsequently adopted the throne as King and Queen of Spain. She has a younger sister, Infanta Sofia born in 2007. The birth of Leonor received much popular attention and was believed to mark a new beginning of the continuity of the Spanish monarchy particularly in the modern sense of the reinstatement of democracy in Spain following the Franco dictatorship.
The umbilical cord stem cells of Leonor were shortly after her birth sent to a blood bank in Tucson, Arizona. Although the move elicited controversies in the community because the bank was privately owned and it was in a foreign country, it demonstrated how her parents were health and medical-conscious. On 14 January 2006 the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, baptised Leonor in the traditional Romanesque baptismal font which had been in use with the Spanish royalties since the 17th century and was installed in the Zarzuela Palace. She had paternal grandparents as her godparents; King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia. She was given the name Leonor de Todos los Santos.
At infancy Leonor had an angioma, a benign tumour of the blood vessels of the nose. It was seen then when she was being baptized and it was thought to be a scratch. It was medically confirmed that such angiomas are normal in new borns and they normally fade in a year or so which it actually did.
Education and Lingual competence.
Leonor started her education at the Escuela Infantil Guardia Real which was the guard child daycare. She then proceeded to Santa Maria de los Rosales School in Madrid where she is said to have performed well in school.
In September 2021 she joined a two-year International Baccalaureate course at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, the United Kingdom, and completed her secondary education in May 2023. The school is well known in developing leadership, international consciousness and critical thinking- qualities that are key to a future king. Leonor also spent summers in the United States, and this also broadened her horizons.
Her command of language is also very impressive. She speaks Spanish, Catalan and English which she learnt through her British nanny and her grandmother, Queen Sofia. She also has acquired French, Arabic, Mandarin, Galician and Basque, which gives her the skills necessary to communicate as a diplomat on an international level.
Royal Titles and Ascension
After King Juan Carlos I abdicated the Spanish throne, Leonor, the daughter of Felipe VI, became heir to the traditional titles of the heir to the Spanish throne in 2014:
- Princess of Asturias
- Princess of Girona
- Princess of Viana
- Duchess of Montblanc
- Countess of Cervera
- Lady of Balaguer
On her 18th birthday on 31 October 2023, she was officially named heir in the presence of the Cortes, making her the future queen of Spain. Hispanic The Spanish constitution is succession by male-preferred cognatic primogeniture, such that a male successor was able to replace her in the line of succession. A debate has however been underway to amend to absolute primogeniture where the firstborn child, no matter their sex, inherits the throne- a law already in effect in Spanish titles of nobility since 2009. The fact that Leonor is the heir is therefore historic which shows how monarchy in Spain has evolved.
Military Training: Leadership Preparation.
The Spanish system requires the heirs to the throne to be trained in the military and Leonor has gone through an extensive three year course which has covered the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. The training is essential, since it will make her ready to become the future commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Spain.
Army Training: Since 17 August 2023, Leonor has been in the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, where she studied with 560 other cadets. On 19 September 2023, she was given her officer sabre and on 7 October 2023, she declared her allegiance to the Spanish flag.
Naval Training: In August 2024, she moved to the Naval Military Academy in Marin, Galicia, where she spent a 140-day 17000-mile journey on the training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano. Through the trip, she had been informed about seamanship, navigation and operations at sea, and she had seen afar the Latin America and New York City. She also took part in the navy drills in the warship Blas de Lezo.
Air Force training: Leonor started her final year at the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier, Murcia in September 2025, and on 18 December 2025, in a Pilatus PC-21, she became the first female member of the Spanish royal family to fly an aircraft on her own.
The military performances in which Leonor has excelled are her silver medal in a mixed team fencing contest at the 24th Sports Championship of Military Academies of the Officers which showcases her level of commitment, discipline and sportiness. She was advanced to Cadet Ensign and then Midshipman of 2nd grade with the Grand Cross of Military Merit and Grand Cross of Naval Merit awarded to her by her father, King Felipe VI. She was also awarded the Gold Medal of the Region of Murcia in her achievements during Air force training.
Civil Society and Foreign Relations.
Leonor has been busy in the public and international events even before she became a queen.
- 2014: Inaugurated a visit to the air force base of San Javier in Murcia, the first time.
- 2018: Appeared solo at the 30 th anniversary of the Instituto Cervantes, her first solo appearance.
- 2019-2025: Attended various global occasions, such as football tournaments, environmental initiatives and state visits. She went to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and 2025 and represented Spain alongside her sister.
This is the beginning of her increasing diplomatic and international presence as in July 2024, she received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ by the President of Portugal on an official visit.
Leonor has been the chair of the Princess of Asturias Awards several times as an adult, where she has spoken in Spanish, Catalan, English, and Arabic. The skills in oratory and the ability to speak multiple languages have enabled her to interact well with all audiences in the world, which has strengthened her readiness in the duty of being a monarch.
Rewards, Titles and Marks of Power.
Leonor has obtained many royal and military awards
- Order of the Golden Fleece (2015)
- Dame of the Collar of the Order of Charles II (2018)
- Gold Medals of the Spanish Parliament (2023).
- Grand Cross of Military Merit White Decoration (2024)
- Grand Cross of Naval Merit crowned with White Decoration (2025).
She has as well a personal coat of arms and royal standard which are a symbol of her power as heir to the throne of Spain. Moreover, commemorative coins and stamps are issued in her honor which are a sign of her contribution to the monarchy and military training in Spain.
Historic Significance
When Leonor assumes the throne, she will be the first queen in Spain to rule in 150 years, which will be a tradition-breaking gender role in the monarch. Her rule is an allegory of a contemporary monarchy: the monarchy that appreciates education and military training, civil service and international relations.
She speaks several languages, has undergone intensive military training, and engages in activities with the community that proves that she is serious about her future duties. The experience of Leonor is symbolic of the changing position of women in the sphere of leadership and the mixture of traditions and modernity in Spain.
Self Character and Social Representation.
Leonor has been uniformly termed as a disciplined, intelligent and poised person who had to weigh the demands of the royalty as well as the progression of her personal facets. Her success in school, training in the military, sports and diplomacy help highlight the fact that she aimed at serving her nation in a good way.
As well demonstrated in her family life, she shares with the public now and then, her family life has been shown to be a supportive one, as her father, King Felipe VI, mentors her in state affairs and her mother, Queen Letizia, in her education and global consciousness.
Conclusion
Princess Leonor of Asturia is not just a mere heir, but a representation of the future of Spain, with elements of royal heritage, military education and foreign relations. She is only 20 years old but already impresses with her ability to be a good leader, a dedicated public servant, and a modernized royalty that is prepared to enter history.
The future queen of Spain is about to embark on a remarkable adventure–one that will make her a ruler of the country, the leader of the military forces, and the inspiration of the future generations. When Princess Leonor ever ascends to the throne, she is the embodiment of the Spanish royalty and its new progressive vision.