Princess Leonor, the crown princess of Spain, turned 18 years old on Tuesday. I never knew that she had a Halloween birthday before now. Leonor is already a few months into her three-year military training as heiress to the throne, and her 18th birthday marked another big occasion for her future role as Queen of Spain. Leonor had a ceremony where she swore allegiance to the Spanish Constitution, and she was presented with medals by the presidents of Congress and Senate, then there was a parade. Amazingly, Leonor wore a great white pantsuit for the occasion. She looked beautiful.
Princess Leonor of Spain is taking the next step to the throne. The future queen turned 18 on Tuesday and marked the milestone by swearing allegiance to the Spanish Constitution. Accompanied by her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and 16-year-old sister, Princess Sofia, to the Congress of Deputies in Madrid, Princess Leonor pledged her loyalty to her country before the Cortes Generales (the Spanish parliament) as she came of age.
“I swear to faithfully carry out my duties, to keep and ensure that the Constitution and the laws are kept, to respect the rights of citizens and the Autonomous Communities, as well as loyalty to the King,” Leonor said during the solemn ceremony in the Chamber, per the Spanish royal court.
Francina Armengol, president of Cortes Generales, accepted her oath and replied, “The Cortes Generales have just received the oath that Your Highness has taken, in compliance with the Constitution, as heir to the Crown. Ladies and gentlemen. Long live the Constitution! Long live the King! Long live Spain!”
The Princess of Asturias continued an important tradition as she reached the age of majority and followed in her father’s footsteps. According to the court, article 61.2 of the Spanish Constitution states that “The Crown Prince, upon reaching of age, and the Regent or Regents upon taking charge of their functions, will take the same oath, as well as that of fidelity to the King.”
The ceremony came to a patriotic close as the music unit of the Royal Guard played the national anthem and a 19-gun salute was fired on the esplanade of the Almudena Cathedral, where Felipe and Letizia married in 2004.
The Spanish royal family moved to the press desk, where Princess Leonor was presented with medals by the presidents of Congress and Senate, and she signed the second edition of the Book of Honor of the Congress of Deputies.
Leonor made a short speech as well, which I’m including below for the Spanish speakers. She’s poised, dutiful, beautiful, a comfortable public speaker and she genuinely seems cool. She’s going to be a great queen… hopefully. You never know with the House of Bourbon, but Leonor is definitely one of the royal heiresses to watch. (Also, I love her chunky heel!)
La Princesa de Asturias, tras jurar la Constitución y recibir el Collar de Carlos III:
🗨️ Me debo desde hoy a todos los españoles, a quienes serviré en todo momento con respeto y lealtad. Les pido que confíen en mí, como yo lo hago en nuestro futuro.#JuraConstituciónPrincesa pic.twitter.com/ueo1WeGBOo
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) October 31, 2023
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- Madrid, SPAIN – The Crown Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias, turns 18 years old, and made a solemn Constitution Oath as heiress of the Crown at the Parliament the day of her birthday (Congreso de los Diputados). She was accompanied by her father, King Felipe VI, her mother, Queen Letizia, and her sister the infanta Sofia at the Congress. The Royal family went to the Royal Palace, where Princess Leonor was honored with the Spanish Order of Carlos III Necklace, that only 25 persons alive can have. After this ceremony, there was a lunch with the representatives of the different powers of the State. Pictured: Princess Leonor BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – The Crown Princess Leonor of Spain, Princess of Asturias, turns 18 years old, and made a solemn Constitution Oath as heiress of the Crown at the Parliament the day of her birthday (Congreso de los Diputados). She was accompanied by her father, King Felipe VI, her mother, Queen Letizia, and her sister the infanta Sofia at the Congress. The Royal family went to the Royal Palace, where Princess Leonor was honored with the Spanish Order of Carlos III Necklace, that only 25 persons alive can have. After this ceremony, there was a lunch with the representatives of the different powers of the State. Pictured: Princess Leonor BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – Princess Leonor of Asturias swears into the constitution on the day she comes of age. Pictured: Leonor, Princess of Asturias BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – Princess Leonor of Asturias swears into the constitution on the day she comes of age. Pictured: Queen Letitzia, King Felipe, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, Infanta Sofia BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – Princess Leonor of Asturias swears into the constitution on the day she comes of age. Pictured: Queen Letitzia, King Felipe, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, Infanta Sofia BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – Princess Leonor of Asturias swears into the constitution on the day she comes of age. Pictured: Leonor, Princess of Asturias BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Madrid, SPAIN – Princess Leonor of Asturias swears into the constitution on the day she comes of age. Pictured: Leonor, Princess of Asturias, King Felipe BACKGRID USA 31 OCTOBER 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Leonor looks a lot like Letizia but with the colors of Felipe who was blond as a child. She’s a such beautiful young lady!
I’m not a royalist but she’s definitely good PR for them. I like that she at least takes her duties seriously unlike the incandescent lightbulb. Good speaker, poised, beautiful. Sounds intelligent so far…and a good role model for young women? I hope I’m right.
Agreed. A credit to her parents and herself.
The incandescent one should take notes. Kate should take notes on the button restraint.
Why are you randomly bringing up Kate? She wasn’t born and raised a Princess. She just has nothing to do with this post.
She seems enthusiastic about her future role as queen.
Calm down; it was a fashion note. Kate, after decades in the public eye still leans toward the wrong instincts in her original fashion choices, perhaps believing her bigger job and platform require them. This is famously represented by the sheer number of buttons of all sorts (covered, cloth, decorative, oversized, miniature, etc.) on many of her most famous outfits, especially suits. She absolutely could take a few notes on the sleek restraint shown by the similarly long bodied Leonor.
As we know she’s amenable to incorporating the fashion of others into her wardrobe, it’s a fashion note and a good one. Has nothing to do with how either woman grew up, but rather how they approach similar events today.
Much like Harry, it would suck to simply be born into a role that you potentially didn’t want to do, but had little choice.
What, if for instance, she wanted to be a doctor, veterinarian, high school teacher, etc? And god forbid, marry a commoner
Just throwing that out there.
Well, she could marry a commoner if she wanted. Her father did.
But I do often think that about when we talk about some of these royal heirs. Other kids spend so much time thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, and these heirs don’t have a choice.
Fair point. But she has shown way more maturity than Pegs who last I checked is still learning at 41 to be comfortable about being King. He’ll probably say he is still learning when he is 70 lol. She has been taking charge of her destiny and making the best out of it, without having to throw the spare under the bus. She is showing some accountability to the taxpayers at least.
Also, to add (because I apparently dont know how to edit my comment lol), we share the same Halloween birthday, and I still dont know what the hell I want to be when I grow up lol. And im much older than her.
Maybe she does want to carry on the throne, but she shouldn’t be chastized if she doesn’t.
Do you know that she can’t do or be those things?
I thought it was pretty common for royal offspring to be well-educated, and actually have some skills and life experience? While I can see that it might become a crisis if she didn’t want her royal role at all, if she wanted to combine it with, say, a military career, an interest in history, art, or law, or even breeding horses like QEII, are you sure that those interests couldn’t be accommodated?
FWIW, the one royal scion that I’ve met personally was working on a graduate degree here in the US, and planned to combine his career interests with an ability to use his skills for the benefit of his country.
First off, she looks great in that suit! According to the news in the NLs, not everyone showed up for this in Spain (the small r republicans in government criticized having a monarchy at all), but she looked royal-competent so to speak.
As to doing other jobs, my guess is that no one would jail her for abdicating. Some solution to that would turn up be it ask a different family member or choose to discontinue the monarchy or whatever. Next, King Willem-Alexander still flies a commercial plane 2-3 times a month (unpaid) for KLM. There’s definitely room for “hobbies.”
She’s a poised, smart young woman, and always looks beautiful and elegant. I’m sure her parents are proud of her.
I like that loyalty to the constitution is paramount to the oath. A nice distinction between royalty and the state. It’s weird to me that Brits combine the two and swear allegiance to the crown only.
British doesnt have written constitution and also Spanish royal house was formed after dictator in spain died or something.
I’m aware. I just appreciate that the Constitution is paramount in Spain.
Well, the Spanish royal house is very old, its the House of Borbon. There’s a complicated history, but it was restored in 1975, not formed, after Franco died and a new constitution was written.
Franco chose a new King from the reigning house of Borbón. He didn’t choose a random man off the streets.
It’s important to note that under Franco there was no Monarchy in Spain but the Reigning House remained in place.
She looks beautiful, very poised and calm. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors obviously, but they seem like a close nuclear family.
I looked up what William did for his 18th birthday and he just had a party along with other members of the family that birthdays close in time. No symbolism of continuity and that William would the job seriously. He noped out of the Prince of Wales investiture. I think it explains a lot.
I’m not sure her speech qualifies as a short speech. Leonor on her 18th birthday spoke confidently for 5 mn in front of the 2 Chambers.
How many examples do we have of just 18-year olds addressing live the equivalent of your senators and congressmen ?
I think William was smart to skip the PoW investiture. I don’t think there is any appetite in Wales to pay for royal nonsense. Plus, his father’s flop coronation was just embarrassing. Why risk the same response?
They all look wonderfully modern.
She looks beautiful and more poised than I was at 18 years old. I love that she wore a white pantsuit like her mother did when Felipe and Letizia announced their engagement.
She is beautiful. No question about it. Maybe the photos wash her out? I think she’s kind of pale and would therefore look better in a color as opposed to white. I am paler than she is and I do not look good in white. It gets worse the farther we get into the winter months. She has probably lost her summer color by now especially if they have her working on her military service. I know tanning is not great for cancer but it really sucks to do pale so I do allow myself sun exposure without sunscreen.
She seems committed heart and soul to her country and her destiny. It is clear she has benefitted from a supportive, protective, and stable home life and upbringing. William’s entire early life, affected as it was by his parents loveless marriage, scandal, divorce, the tragic death of his mother, was traumatic and set the stage for a challenging path forward.
Leonor did such an awesome job, I’m not a native Spanish speaker but I understood 95% of what she said. Felipe looked so crowd and smiled at her a lot, Letizia was more stoic but I think she was also trying not to be too emotional with her baby standing there accomplishing such a major milestone. It looks like she’s reached her adult height already? Neither of Felipe’s daughters inherited his height, wonder where he got the height gene from. Not even Juan Carlos was ever that tall when he was young.
Both of his daughters are relatively tall for women, especially Sofia, who often wears flats in public and unfortunately tends to slouch so it may be hard to tell from still photos.
Letizia is 5’7 and both her daughters are taller. Leonor is around 5’9 and Sofia is maybe 5’11. That qualifies as tall for me. I think they look shorter because their dad is 6’6.
They’re both tall! Felipe is giant, that’s the problem LOL Look at Sofia – she towers above women while in flats.
King Felipe probably got the height from his mother’s side of the family ( Her Father was born the Crown Prince of Greece & Denmark which makes Prince Phillip’s 1st Cousin. ( Her father & Prince Phillip’s father were siblings)
I love the pantsuit and how dignified she looks. And I suspect she wore something a lot more fun for the real party that night with her friends.
I’m not a fan of monarchy but she seems well suited to the role: smart, well-spoken, poised, and classy. And she has great style!
This is a post about the Spanish royal family and has nothing to do with the British Royal family.
Yet some here are comparing Leonor to William. Weird.
The number of these reactions on royal posts has grown recently. They seek to somehow position the discussions and any mention of William or Kate *at all* as unreasonable or catty, even when they aren’t. It makes me wonder…
In this case, seeing how the heir apparent to one major Royal house handles certain things and is perceived and comparing and contrasting that to their varied counterparts in Europe isn’t weird at all, it’s perfectly logical.
This is especially true as the British and Spanish royal families have a centuries-long relationship with wars, alliances, marriages, divorces, and far more, linking them both in our minds and in actual, geopolitical reality.
In America, where the second most spoken language is Spanish and our history is deeply intertwined with Spain, as it is with England (due to people of Latin American descent being from former Spanish colonies, and states like Texas and California being former colonies of Spain the way the original states were colonies of England), interest in both and comparisons of them in this time of changing relationships between the public and royalty is all quite… normal.
I think the comparisons come naturally. They’re both heirs and we see how differently they and their families function. The Princess of Wales at 40 cannot make such a speech to save her life while this one is being trained much better. I mean the comparisons are right there jumping out at us
Or people just have an unhealthy obsession with the BRF.
Most people on here are more familiar with the BRF so thats going to be the natural comparison.
And it IS a natural comparison. Leonor and William are both first in line to the throne. comparing Leonor at 18 to William at 41 (or heck even at 18) isn’t that weird, its comparing like to like, heirs to heirs.
Time flies, I remember when she was a baby! She sounded great in the speech, if a little fast (and that may just be my rusty Spanish comprehension more than her speed!) She looks great, and the pic of her and her dad looking at each other is definitely a keeper! He and Letizia look so proud.
Love the picture of father and daughter looking at each other. It looks as if she knows the assignment and has accepted it.
Agreed. The matching blinged out lockets daughter and father are wearing almost takes away from it. Almost.
She looks great in the white suit. A white suit is always appropriate, and white symbolizes female empowerment if I’m not mistaken. I think it was a good choice. She comes across as very serious and poised. You could tell she was very nervous by the tremor in her voice, but she has presence and grace. Looking at her younger sister reminds me of Harry, who is also the second of only two. She is also very poised. With two siblings, at least Charlotte and Louis will be company for each other at the back of the bus in the future. It must have been very lonely for Harry before he met Meghan, always walking behind pa and his mistress, and Wills and Kate, by himself.
Letizia is working hard to retain the crown and a place for her daughter. It easy to forget their family is still embroiled in scandals. Plus, They was put into power not that long ago. And Felipe and Co really are the test. A lot is riding on him and leonor.
Leonor comes across as poised, confident and comfortable with her position. Felipe and Letizia give the impression of being head of a close, loving family. They understand their role is to be the image of Spain to their fellow countrymen and the world. Perhaps it is because Letizia had a life (and marriage!) before meeting Felipe, maybe because Felipe wasn’t born into royalty (in the sense that the Spanish Royal Family wasn’t formally reinstated until 1975 when Felipe was 6/7) or maybe a combination of circumstances, but it seems there is a lot of room for Leonor to make the role of Princess of the Austrias (and later Queen) her own. Certainly, many other European monarchs and heirs have married commoners (CP Victoria’s husband Prince Daniel was her personal trainer) and/or foreigners, many of whom are educated and have had careers. Felipe was an Olympic sailor; as mentioned above, King W-A volunteers as a KLM pilot monthly. Many of the European houses seem to be able to blend tradition with modernity; it will be interesting to see if the new generation of heirs is able to continue that.
I’m a Republican and glad I live in a Republican country with no affiliation to any Monarchy.
However, every time I see a royal woman recognised a Heiress and given everything an eldest son would receive*, I smile a bit. This century will belong to Regnant Queens!
*Leonor, unlike the late QEII, has received every single, title, honour and privilege had she been born a son. The Succession in Spain is still of male-preference, like the UK was before the birth of George. Unlike Leonor, Princess Elizabeth was not afforded one single title, honour, income, etc given to the Heir, and let’s not forget other women pushed aside for younger brothers or cousins.