Welcome to New York! Princess Leonor of Spain arrived in New York on Wednesday aboard the Juan Sebastián de Elcano training ship. Per HOLA! Spain, the Princess of Asturias’ arrival came one day early.
On Instagram, Spain’s Armada shared a video of the ship’s crew and midshipmen, including Leonor, paying “tribute to their shipmates from the Cuauhtémoc”—the Mexican Navy training ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge last month.
New York is the Princess’ last stopover on her journey aboard the training ship she’s been on since January. During her stay in the Big Apple, 19-year-old Leonor will reportedly participate in activities that will be attended by Spaniards and is expected to attend the Teatro Real’s gala concert at Carnegie Hall on June 5. According to HOLA! Spain, the future Queen will fly back to Spain on Tuesday.
© Noam Galai/Getty ImagesLeonor’s naval training began last August at the Naval Military Academy of Marín and continued this year on board the Juan Sebastián de Elcano training ship, which is described as “an essential part of the curriculum for future Navy officers and provides valuable practical experience in navigation, astronomy, meteorology, and other nautical disciplines. It also fosters teamwork, discipline, and a spirit of service.” The teen said goodbye to her parents, Queen Letizia and King Felipe, back in January. After months apart, Leonor reunited with her mother in Panama City last month.
© Noam Galai/Getty ImagesThe Princess is set to finish her three-year military training, which began at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza in August of 2023, “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 has previously said that King Felipe and Queen Letizia consider Leonor’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.”
While the Princess of Asturias started her training months after graduating from UWC Atlantic College, it’s been reported that her younger sister, Infanta Sofia, who completed her studies at the same school last month, will not follow in Leonor’s footsteps. HOLA! Spain previously reported that the King and Queen’s 18-year-old daughter had considered joining the army and taking a helicopter pilot course, but ultimately decided to pursue a university degree.
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