The Catalan daily newspaper 'La Vanguardia' reported that the elder of the two daughters of the Spanish royal couple Felipe VI (56) and Letizia (52) is now doing her naval service in the Armada Española as part of her three-year military training.
For the 19-year-old heir to the throne, Princess Leonor of Spain, the new year begins with a training voyage lasting around five months. Together with a total of 75 cadets, she was embarked on the Spanish sailing school ship "Juan Sebastián de Elcano" (commissioned in 1928, 4-mast topsail schooner).
Route
The tour will take in the Atlantic and Pacific, visit ten harbours in eight countries in South, Central and North America and cover a total of around 17,000 nautical miles (31,484 km).
SSS "JS de Elcano" casts off in Cádiz. Photo: Casa de H.M. El Rey (Royal Palace)
From its home port of Cádiz, the training ship will first visit two ports in the Canary Islands before travelling on to ports in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and the USA. Princess Leonor will fly back to Spain from the US East Coast in June, and the training ship is expected to return to Spain in July.
Princess Leonor of Spain 2023 Photo: Spanish President's Office
Experience time
It is customary for the heirs to the Spanish throne to undergo military training because the King or Queen is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The voyage on the sail training ship is part of what is now a voluntary three-year military training programme, which her father King Felipe VI was also required to complete from 1985 to 1988. Princess Leonor began her military training in August 2023 and initially spent a year in the Spanish army. Her royal lineage does not give the princess any advantages. In a barracks, she shared a room with twelve other female officer candidates. Now she has transferred to the navy and will fit into the cramped shipboard life with little privacy. She is completing her final year of training in the air force.
Princess Leonor on National Day 2023 Photo: Wikimedia CC BY-SA 2.0
She will have to lend a hand on board. However, the young woman already proved her courage and physical fitness before setting sail in Cádiz when she climbed up the rigging of an almost 50 metre high mast with a safety line without any problems.
As they cast off, the commissioned officers waved their hats with a smile, while the royal couple who had travelled there and other relatives, as well as hundreds of onlookers, sent kisses to the crew from ashore; and as usual, a few tears were shed.
Embossing
This training cruise is an essential part of the curriculum for future Spanish naval officers. This also applies to our officer cadets on the Gorch Fock. This is because sail training ships offer valuable practical experience in the areas of navigation, astronomy, meteorology and other nautical and technical disciplines. It also significantly promotes teamwork, discipline and the spirit of service.
Cadets on the training ship. Photo: Casa de H.M. El Rey
Recruitmentg
In this respect, this media attention can help to inspire young women to join the armed forces and the navy in particular. The newspaper and the Royal Palace also published a number of videos about the princess, e.g. the stay.
Good recruitment is right and important.
We will report on how to recruit young talent even better here tomorrow, because that is another interesting piece of news.
kdk, La Vanguardia, Spanish Royal Palace, RND
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