For the Spanish Crown Princess, there is no exception. Leonor has to join the military after graduating from high school in Wales. While there has been no conscription in Spain for a long time, the heir to the throne will undergo training in all three branches of the armed forces for three years. Only then can she start studying.

Hans-Christian Rößler

Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb, based in Madrid.

  • Follow I follow

Instead of doing an internship in a developing country or a social year like their peers, the royal family strictly adheres to tradition and follows exactly the example of father Felipe VI and grandfather Juan Carlos I, who both joined the armed forces first.

What dreams and plans Leonor has, she has not yet revealed herself. A statement from the Zarzuela Palace emphasizes the "interest and enthusiasm" of the Princess of Asturias for the next stage in her life's journey, which will "promote exemplariness and rigor" in her.

The Socialist Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, presented the decision that the cabinet had to take for it as a contribution to emancipation: If Leonor is queen one day, "the high command of the armed forces will be exercised by a woman."

Three stages of training

Even before her 18th birthday on 31 October, Leonor was admitted to the Army Academy in Zaragoza in August as "Dama Cadete". She then transferred to the Marín Naval School in Galicia. She is expected to spend half a year on the high seas on board the sail training ship "Elcano", possibly on an American voyage. She is spending her third year at the Air Force Academy in San Javier near Murcia. There her father got his pilot's license for helicopters.

Only then is there time to study. Whether she will follow Felipe's example and study law or follow her inclinations is still unclear. Her father studied law and economics in Madrid, and later international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Leonor is said to be more interested in science.

In Spain, Leonor made it to all the front pages of newspapers with this announcement on Wednesday. There was practically no criticism. Commentators pretended to be monarchist and agreed on the need for the crown princess to put on the uniform and undergo this "essential training".

Again and again it is pointed out that this is also common in other parliamentary monarchies – even if not for three years. The Belgian Crown Princess Elisabeth, after graduating from the college in Wales, which Leonor also attends, completed a one-year military training at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels. The Swedish Crown Princess Victoria completed several months of basic military training and several advanced training courses.

In Spain, the Infanta Sofía again follows the example of her big sister Leonor. In the summer she moves to UWC Atlantic College in Wales to take her international baccalaureate after two years. In May, her confirmation is due, in which Leonor could also participate.

Both have not appeared publicly for months. So far, their parents have successfully shielded them from the outside world and the paparazzis in order to enable them to grow up as carefree as possible. For Leonor, this time comes to an end with her return to Spain. On her 18th birthday, as crown princess, she must take the oath of allegiance to the Spanish constitution – possibly in uniform with the army.