A mere 17-years-old, suffice it to say that the next Queen of Spain has, is, and will have quite the fascinating life.
Formally known as Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias, her baptismal name is Leonor de Todos los Santos (Elanor of All the Saints), her family name is Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz, but in everyday life, she’s just Princess Leonor.
In a short three-and-one-half years, she’ll also have the legitimate titles of Infantry Lieutenant, Naval Ensign and Aviation Weapons Lieutenant.
And yes… she’s slated to become the next Queen of Spain.
It is noteworthy to mention that before Leonor reaches the age of 21, she will not only have her Bachelor’s Degree under her belt, she’ll already have three-years of military experience.
Only after her time in the military will the young princess work on her Master’s Degree.
Depending upon which source you choose, it’s generally accepted that 7 out of every 10 young American males are automatically disqualified from serving in the military for three basic reasons;
- Too fat
- Too stupid
- Too criminal
Like her father before her, Princess Leonor will serve aboard the Juan Sebastián de Elcano.
As reported by Alexandra Hurtado of the everything-Spanish news site HOLA.com, the young princess has not only finished her baccalaureate studies at the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, she’ll be taking the summer off before training for one year in the Spanish Army, then another year in the Spanish Navy, then a third year in the Spanish Air and Space Force.
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.
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.”
While the glory of the former Spanish Empire has been relegated to the history books, present-day Spain still maintains one of the better led and equipped military forces world-wide.
The much respected everything-military website, GlobalFirePower.com rated the Spanish Armed Forces as 21st out of 145 of the countries considered for the annual GFP review.