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Leonor, Princess of Asturias

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For the medieval heir apparent, see Eleanor, Princess of Asturias.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is de Borbón and the second or maternal family name is Ortiz.

Leonor
Princess of Asturias (more)
Princess Leonor in 2023
Born (2005-10-31) 31 October 2005 (age 19)
Madrid, Spain
Names
Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz
HouseBourbon-Anjou
FatherFelipe VI
MotherLetizia Ortiz Rocasolano
ReligionRoman Catholic
SignatureLeonor's signature
Military career
Allegiance Spain
Service / branch Spanish Army
Years of service2023-present
RankOfficer Cadet
Spanish royal family
Coat of arms of the King of Spain

King Juan Carlos I
Queen Sofía

Extended royal family

Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz:

  • Doña Simoneta
  • Don Bruno
  • Don Luis

The Duchess of Soria and Hernani
The Duke of Soria and Hernani

  • Don Alfonso
  • Doña María

The Dowager Duchess of Calabria

Leonor, Princess of Asturias[a][1] (Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz; born 31 October 2005) is the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. She is the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.

Leonor was born during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Juan Carlos I. She was educated at Santa María de los Rosales School, the same child school as her father; after finishing her secondary studies, she studied an International Baccalaureate at the UWC Atlantic College in Wales, United Kingdom. On 17 August 2023, Leonor joined the General Military Academy to start her 3-year military education.

In 2014, when her father ascended the throne after the abdication of her grandfather, Leonor was granted all the traditional titles of the heir to the Spanish crown, these are: Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera and Lady of Balaguer. Leonor will be formally proclaimed as heir before the Cortes on 31 October 2023, on her 18th birthday.

If Leonor ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Spain's first queen regnant since her 4th great-grandmother Isabella II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868.

Birth

Leonor was born to Felipe and Letizia, then the Prince and Princess of Asturias, on 31 October 2005 at 01:46, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Juan Carlos I, in the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid by means of a caesarean section necessitated by non-progression of labour.[2] As the daughter of the heir apparent, she was an infanta and the second in the line of succession to the Spanish throne.[3] Her birth was announced by the royal family to the press via SMS.[4]

Leonor left the Ruber International Hospital with her parents on 7 November 2005.[5][6] She was baptised in the Zarzuela Palace by the archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, on 14 January 2006.[7] Like her father, Leonor was baptized – with water from the Jordan River – in a Romanesque baptismal font that has been used to christen Spanish princes since the 17th century.[8]

Her godparents were her paternal grandparents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía.[9] She received the name of Leonor de Todos los Santos.[10]

Education and military training

Leonor's education began at Escuela Infantil Guardia Real, the daycare for the children of the Spanish Royal Guard.[11] She began her first year of primary school on 15 September 2008 at the Santa María de los Rosales School in Aravaca, just outside Madrid.[12] Her father is an alumnus of the private school and her younger sister, Sofía, is also enrolled there. In September 2021, she began studying a 2-year International Baccalaureate program at the UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.[13] She graduated in May 2023, having successfully completed her studies.[14] Leonor is fluent in both Spanish and English (the latter learnt from her British nanny and also from her grandmother, Queen Sofía)[15] and has studied Mandarin.[16]

In March 2023, it was announced by Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles that the government had approved a royal decree for Leonor to begin a 3-year military training education program.[17] On August 17, 2023, she started her first year of training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza.[18] In preparation for her presumed role as Spain's head of state, she is expected to follow in her father's footsteps with two further years of naval and air force training at the Naval Military Academy in Marín and the General Air Academy in Murcia, respectively.[19] Whilst attending the military academies, Leonor will renounce her salary and any money that cadets receive.[20] Leonor is using both her parents' surnames "Borbón Ortiz" in her military career.[21]

Princess of Asturias

In May 2014, Leonor made her first official visit to the San Javier Air Force base in Murcia.[12] On 18 June 2014, King Juan Carlos signed the Abdication Act, and the following day at the stroke of midnight (18–19 June 2014) Leonor's father ascended the throne becoming King Felipe VI, and Leonor became his heir presumptive and Princess of Asturias.[22] In October 2014, a wax figure of Leonor was unveiled at the Museo de Cera in Madrid.[23] On 20 May 2015, Leonor received First Communion as per Catholic custom.[24][25]

According to the Spanish constitution of 1975, the succession to the Spanish throne is under a system of male-preference cognatic primogeniture,[26] meaning that Leonor, as the elder of Felipe's two daughters, is first in line to inherit the throne. Under the current law, however, if her father has a legitimate son while still being king, Leonor would be displaced in the line of succession and again become an infanta of Spain.[12] There have been discussions[27][28][29] about changing the succession law to absolute primogeniture, allowing for the inheritance of the eldest child, regardless of sex; however, the birth of Leonor, followed by that of her younger sister Sofía, stalled these plans. Despite a change from male-preference to absolute primogeniture for Spanish titles of nobility in 2009,[30] as of 2024 no legislation has been passed affecting the succession to the throne.

Princess Leonor with her father, The King, during the 2018 Golden Fleece award ceremony at the Royal Palace.

On a day before her 10th birthday, she was granted the Order of the Golden Fleece by her father.[31][32][33] In addition, the Council of Ministers approved the design of her personal standard and guidon.[34] Coinciding with the 50th birthday of King Felipe, in January 2018, the King officially gave Leonor the collar of the Golden Fleece in a ceremony at the Royal Palace of Madrid.[35]

In September 2018, Leonor conducted her first public engagement outside the palace by accompanying her parents to Covadonga to celebrate the 1,300th anniversary of the Kingdom of Asturias.[36] On 31 October 2018, Leonor gave her first public speech, held at the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid, where she read the first article of the Constitution of Spain.[37] The speech coincided with the 40th anniversary of the constitution and her 13th birthday.[38] On 18 October 2019, she made her first significant speech at Premio Princesa de Asturias.[39]

Princess Leonor, together with the Royal Family along with the main civil and military authorities of Spain during the National Day festivities, 2019.

On 4 November 2019, she made her first speech at the Princess of Girona Foundation awards in Barcelona,[40] in which she spoke in Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic.[41]

She carried out her first public solo engagement on 24 March 2021 by attending a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the Instituto Cervantes.[42]

On 16 July 2022, she made her first international trip. She did it without the presence of her parents, although she was accompanied by her younger sister, Infanta Sofía. Together, they attended a match between Spain and Denmark at the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.[43][44] In December 2022, Leonor visited the Spanish Red Cross headquarters in Madrid where she met young volunteers of The Red Cross Youth, the youth section of the Spanish Red Cross.[45]

On 22 September 2023, the Royal Household made public that the princess would be sworn in the Constitution on 31 October 2023, on her 18th birthday.[46] After this ceremony at the Palacio de las Cortes, King Felipe will invest her with the insignia as a Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Charles III at the Royal Palace and, finally, the Royal Family and the rest of the monarchs' family will attend to a private celebration at the Royal Palace of El Pardo.[47] Three weeks earlier, on 7 October 2023, the Princess swore allegiance to the Spanish flag at the Military Academy, in the presence of her parents.[48]

Titles, styles, honours and arms

For a more comprehensive list, see List of titles and honours of Leonor, Princess of Asturias.

Leonor was initially styled "Her Royal Highness Infanta Leonor of Spain". Upon her father's accession to the throne, she became known as "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias" as heir presumptive. She also holds the titles Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera and Lady of Balaguer.[49]

She is currently an Officer Cadet in the General Spanish Military Academy.

Honours

As heir presumptive to the throne, she is the nominal chairwoman of the Princess of Asturias Foundation and the Princess of Girona Foundation, although until she becomes 18, those functions are assumed by her father.[50][51]

Also as traditional for the heir to the throne, her father awarded her the medal and collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece (awarded 30 October 2015, presented 30 January 2018).[52] On 10 October 2023, she was granted the Collar of the Order of Charles III (10 October 2023, presented 31 October 2023).[53][54]

Arms

See also: Coat of arms of the Prince of Asturias
Coat of arms of Leonor, Princess of Asturias
Notes
In 2015, one day before the Princess of Asturias' birthday, she was granted the Order of the Golden Fleece. Since then, she has been able to use the coat of arms of the heir to the Spanish throne with the collar of the order. Her use of the arms and standard by Royal Decree was officially gazetted by the government on her birthday.[55]
Crest
The crown of the Princess of Asturias
Escutcheon
The arms is divided into four quarters, blazoned as follows:

1st, Gules a castle three-towered Or, masoned Sable ajoure Azure (for Castile); 2nd, Argent a lion rampant Purpure, armed Gules and crowned Or (for León); 3rd, Or four pallets Gules (for Aragon); 4th, Gules a cross, saltire and orle of chains all linked Or, an emerald Proper for Navarre; Enté en point, Argent a pomegranate Proper seeded Gules, supported, sculpted and leafed in two leaves Vert (for Granada); Inescutcheon, Azure with three fleurs-de-lys Or, bordured Gules (for Bourbon).

Other elements
The whole differenced by a blue label of three points azure.
Banner
The Princess' Standard comprises a light blue (the colour of the Flag of Asturias) square flag displaying the coat of arms of the heir to the Spanish throne in the center.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In the languages of Spain, her name is:

References

  1. ^ "Los 10 nobles años de Leonor en 10 imágenes". El Mundo (in Spanish). 30 October 2015.
  2. ^ Galaz, Mábel (31 October 2005). "Nace la primera hija de los príncipes de Asturias, que se llamará Leonor". El País (in Spanish). Madrid: Prisa. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Nace la infanta Leonor". El País (in Spanish). Prisa. 30 October 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  4. ^ Marcos, Charo; Cernuda, Olalla (31 October 2005). "Letizia Ortiz da a luz una niña". El Mundo (in Spanish). Mundinteractivos. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  5. ^ "La Princesa de Asturias y la Infanta Leonor abandonan este lunes el hospital". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 6 November 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  6. ^ "La Princesa de Asturias y la Infanta Leonor abandonan a las 12:00 horas el hospital". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 7 November 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Princess Leonor of Spain: Facts about the future queen". hellomagazine.com. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Royal christenings around the world". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 9 November 2015. p. 8. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Los Reyes serán los padrinos de Leono". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Grupo Zeta. 18 December 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  10. ^ "La Infanta Leonor sólo abrió los ojos en su bautizo al recibir el agua del río Jordán". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  11. ^ "La infanta Sofía irá a la Escuela Infantil de la Guardia Real en septiembre" [The Infanta Sofía will go to the Infant School of the Royal Guard in September]. Hola.com (in Spanish). 15 July 2009. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Galaz, Mábel (4 June 2014). "Leonor becomes a crown princess". El País. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  13. ^ Miguel, Rafa de (31 August 2021). "Spain's Princess Leonor begins studies in Wales". EL PAÍS English. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Spanish and Dutch kings attend daughters' graduation in Wales". BBC News. 20 May 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  15. ^ Govan, Fiona. "Crown Princess Leonor of Spain, Europe's youngest direct royal heir". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Princess Leonor preparing for her role as Spain's future queen". Hello. 4 April 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  17. ^ Goodman, Al; Ronald, Issy (15 March 2023). "Crown Princess Leonor of Spain to start three-year military training". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. ^ Sharrock, David (25 August 2023). "Spanish princess starts three years of military training". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  19. ^ West, Vincent (17 August 2023). "Spain's Princess Leonor starts military academy with 'excitement and nerves'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Inicio - Comunicado de la Casa de S.M. el Rey sobre la formación militar y carrera militar de S.A.R. la Princesa de Asturias" [Statement from the House of HM The King on the Military Training and Military Career of HRH The Princess of Asturias]. Spanish Royal House Official Website (in Spanish). 14 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  21. ^ "See the Name on Princess Leonor of Spain's Army Uniform — and How It Relates to Prince William and Prince Harry". People. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Spanish constitution" (PDF). Congress of Spain. congreso.es. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  23. ^ "Princess Leonor of Spain's waxwork is unveiled in Madrid". Hello. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  24. ^ Galaz, Mábel (20 May 2015). "Leonor hace la comunión como colegiala, no como princesa" [Leonor does communion as a schoolgirl, not as a princess]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  25. ^ Remírez, Carmen (20 May 2015). "La Princesa Leonor, tras su primera comunión: 'Estaba muy nerviosa'" [Princess Leonor, after her first communion: "I was very nervous"]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  26. ^ Marcos, Charo. "Una esperada confirmación" [An expected confirmation]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023.
  27. ^ "LOS 'PROBLEMAS' SI EL PRIMOGÉNITO ES PRIMOGÉNITA: Pendientes de la Constitución hasta saber si será niño o niña" [Pending the Constitution until we know if it will be a boy or a girl]. El Mundo. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014.
  28. ^ Woolls, Daniel (27 September 2006). "Royal Pregnancy a Conundrum for Spain". The Washington Post. The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  29. ^ Govan, Fiona (30 September 2006). "Royal baby in waiting sparks row over throne". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  30. ^ Tremlett, Giles (12 July 2009). "Spanish nobles rebel over inheritance law". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  31. ^ "El Rey concede el Toisón de Oro a Leonor por su décimo cumpleaños" [The King awards the Golden Fleece to Leonor for her tenth birthday]. El País (in Spanish). 30 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  32. ^ Remírez, Carmen (30 October 2015). "El Rey Felipe VI concede a la Princesa de Asturias el Toisón de Oro" [King Felipe VI awards the Princess of Asturias the Golden Fleece]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  33. ^ Real Decreto 978/2015. Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023.
  34. ^ Real Decreto 979/2015. Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023.
  35. ^ "King Felipe of Spain gives daughter Princess Leonor same honour as the Queen". HELLO!. 30 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  36. ^ Abellán, Lucía (8 September 2018). "La princesa Leonor estrena su agenda oficial de viajes en Asturias" [Princess Leonor opens her official travel agenda in Asturias]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  37. ^ "La princesa Leonor lee en su primera intervención pública el artículo 1 de la Constitución" [Princess Leonor reads article 1 of the Constitution in her first public speech]. Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (in Spanish). 31 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  38. ^ Alberola, Miquel (1 November 2018). "La princesa Leonor hace su primera lectura pública para conmemorar la Constitución" [Princess Leonor does her first public reading to commemorate the Constitution]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  39. ^ "El histórico primer discurso de Leonor en los Premios Princesa de Asturias" [Leonor's historic first speech at the Princess of Asturias Awards]. Hola! (in Spanish). 18 October 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  40. ^ "De rojo y con un discreto maquillaje: Leonor brilla en los Premios Princesa de Girona" [In red and with discreet makeup: Leonor shines at the Princess of Girona Awards]. ABC (in Spanish). Madrid: Vocento. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  41. ^ "Leonor sorprende en los Princesa de Girona con su discurso en catalán, inglés y árabe" [Leonor surprises at the Princess of Girona with her speech in Catalan, English and Arabic]. El Español (in Spanish). 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  42. ^ Boucher, Phil (24 March 2021). "Princess Leonor of Spain, 15, Steps Out for Her First Solo Public Outing". People. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  43. ^ "La princesa Leonor y la infanta Sofía animan a la selección española en Londres en la Eurocopa femenina". HOLA (in Spanish). 16 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  44. ^ "La princesa Leonor y la infanta Sofía viajan a Londres para su primera cita internacional en solitario". Diez Minutos (in European Spanish). 15 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  45. ^ Bridger-Linning, Stephanie (16 December 2022). "Princess Leonor of Spain, 17, borrows from her stylish mother's wardrobe on solo Madrid outing". Tatler. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  46. ^ "La Casa Real confirma que la Princesa Leonor jurará la Constitución el 31 de octubre". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  47. ^ "La Princesa Leonor jurará la Constitución ante las Cortes el 31 de octubre y Don Juan Carlos irá a la fiesta privada en El Pardo". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  48. ^ "Jura de Bandera de la Princesa Leonor: Horario y dónde ver hoy por TV". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  49. ^ (in Spanish) Su Alteza Real la Princesa de Asturias
  50. ^ "Leonor, princesa de Asturias, cumple diez años en la más estricta intimidad familiar" [Leonor, Princess of Asturias, turns ten in the strictest family intimacy]. Republica.com (in Spanish). 30 October 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  51. ^ "Los primeros Premios Princesa de Asturias no tendrán a su Princesa" [The first Princess of Asturias Awards will not have their Princess]. ¡Hola! USA. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  52. ^ "BOLETÍN OFICIAL DEL ESTADO" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  53. ^ RTVE.es (10 October 2023). "El Gobierno concede a la princesa Leonor el Collar de la Orden de Carlos III". RTVE.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  54. ^ "Real Decreto 783/2023, de 10 de octubre, por el que se concede el Collar de la Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III a Su Alteza Real la Princesa de Asturias, doña Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz". www.boe.es. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  55. ^ Real Decreto 979/2015 Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leonor, Princess of Asturias.
Leonor, Princess of Asturias
Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty
Born: 31 October 2005
Lines of succession
First
 Succession to the Spanish throne Succeeded by
Spanish royalty
Preceded by Princess of Asturias, Princess of Viana
Princess of Girona, Duchess of Montblanc,
Countess of Cervera, Lady of Balaguer
2014–present 		Incumbent
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