Princess Leonor Completes Three‑Year Military Training in Spain
On 10 July 2026, Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, finished a three‑year military programme at the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier, Murcia. The ceremony was presided over by King Felipe VI, who awarded her the Grand Cross of the Aeronautical Merit with white distinction – the third top military decoration she now holds after receiving the army and navy equivalents. Over 100 new lieutenants graduated alongside her, and the princess qualified as a paratrooper and completed a solo flight in a Pilatus PC‑21.
The event marked the first time a future Spanish monarch has undergone such extensive training across the army, navy and air force, preparing her for the future constitutional role as commander‑in‑chief. The royal family – Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofía – attended, but the usual post‑ceremony reception was cancelled and a minute’s silence observed due to a deadly wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almería.
Leonor will now begin university studies in political science at Carlos III University of Madrid. Academy director Luis González‑Asenjo praised her, saying her behaviour had been “exemplary” and that she “surpassed all objectives with resounding success”.