On Saturday, 19-year-old Princess Eleonora of Asturias, the heir to the throne of Spain, began a months-long voyage on the sailboat Juan Sebastian de Elcano. This is part of his three-year military training.
“The prince embarks,” El Pais newspaper reported, publishing photos of the farewell to the heir to the throne by his parents, King Felipe VI and Princess Letizia, which took place in the southern port of Cadiz on Saturday morning. country
Princess Eleanor will spend the next five months as an ordinary cadet on board the training ship Elcano, which was built almost 100 years ago. The sailing ship will cover 17,000 nautical miles, visiting eight countries including Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the United States.
Eleonora lands in New York and flies to Gijon in northern Spain in early July.
Princess Eleonora of Asturias on the sailboat Juan Sebastian de ElcanoPAP/EPA/ROMAN RIOS
A similar visit to Elcano was made by Philip VI in 1987 as part of his military training and in 1958 by his father, the future King John Charles I.
Farewell ceremony with cadets
The farewell ceremony was attended by 76 cadets, including 9 women, including Defense Minister Margarita Robles, on Saturday. The head of the ministry was late for the ceremony due to the fog, which prevented his plane from landing, and was accosted by the gathered people.
Princess Eleonora among the cadets before boarding the shipPAP/EPA/ROMAN RIOS
– Favorable seas and favorable winds – the royal couple wished the sailors and reminded that “Elcano is the floating embassy of Spain”.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia say goodbye to their daughter aboard PAP/EPA/ROMAN RIOS
Princess Eleanor’s three-year military training
In mid-August 2023, the Royal Court of Spain announced the start of the three-year military training of Eleonora, then 17 years old. The program includes studies at the Academy of Land Forces in Zaragoza, ongoing training at the Naval Academy of Pontevedra in Galicia and the last – at the Aviation School of San Javier in Murcia.
Princess Eleanor will complete her two-year secondary education at UWC Atlantic College in Wales in 2023. He can study at the university only after completing military training.
19-year-old Queen of Asturias EleonoraPAP/EPA/ROMAN RIOS
Spain is a hereditary parliamentary monarchy, where the king is the head of state and commander of the armed forces, and is a symbol of the unity and stability of the state. If Princess Eleanor ascends the throne, she will be the first woman to rule Spain since Queen Isabella II in the 19th century.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ROMAN RIOS
