The Princess of Asturias and The Infanta Sofía's News Thread, Part 2

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by kathia_sophia

Oh so Leonor is going to follow her father's military path straightaway. I actually thought she was going to university after finishing the UWC school, but it seems not yet.

I think they stick to Felipe's way, that already started with the 'normal' school, because it its widely accepted that it has been a good one.
If they changed anything about it, there would be huge discussions about what is wrong or right for Leonor, by keeping the tradition there won't be any questions.
We don't know if Felipe himself was happy with his own way, and Leonor is a girl in a very male dominated field. Plus, times have changed with (social) media pressure. Only time will tell if sticking to the schedule did Leonor a favor or not.
My first thought has always been that she will be 3 years older at uni or master than her classmates, but it does not have to be a disadvantage.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

I think they stick to Felipe's way, that already started with the 'normal' school, because it its widely accepted that it has been a good one.

If they changed anything about it, there would be huge discussions about what is wrong or right for Leonor, by keeping the tradition there won't be any questions.

We don't know if Felipe himself was happy with his own way, and Leonor is a girl in a very male dominated field. Plus, times have changed with (social) media pressure. Only time will tell if sticking to the schedule did Leonor a favor or not.

My first thought has always been that she will be 3 years older at uni or master than her classmates, but it does not have to be a disadvantage.

Will Princess Leonor really be older than her fellow students? I don't know how it works in Spain, but those times I've attended university in Sweden there has been a variety of ages with those 20-25 in a majority and many older. While a few go directly from high school to university many work, travel or study to get better grades before applying to university.

[lula]

Leonor will be used to being the youngest when she reaches university, and there she will be older than her peers.

In Spain, the usual thing is that students enter the university at the age of 18, after finishing baccalaureate and taking the university entrance exam in May. When she starts officer school, she'll do the first two courses in one, so she'll start with a group of students that will mostly be her age and then move on to students a year older.

In Spain, children are enrolled in school by year of birth, so having been born in October, she has always been one of the youngest in her class. In Wales this difference is greater, because students come from all over the world, from different educational systems and the schooling age is different, there are also cases of scholarship holders who try several times before being able to enter, and in her course there are people who already has reached the age of 19 or 20.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by lula

In Spain, the usual thing is that students enter the university at the age of 18, after finishing baccalaureate and taking the university entrance exam in May. When she starts officer school, she'll do the first two courses in one, so she'll start with a group of students that will mostly be her age and then move on to students a year older.

So gap years aren't really a thing in Spain?

[Duke of Marmalade]

If she continues to follow Felipe's way she will do a masters abroad, where there is a melting pot of nations. I know some young people who do uni and masters and are finished with education at 22 or 23. But of course they know nothing of working life. So another option is to do the studies and then do some actual work at companies, before doing the master. There are even universities that will only take on students for a master who have already worked for at least 2 years.
My point is that the difference will be less evident when Leonor goes abroad again for her master. Felipe did his in Georgetown, US.

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by lula

At the moment they are studying the laws to see what they can do.

Zarzuela clarifies that Princess Leonor resigns and will not receive any compensation during her military training

The students of the military academies are entitled to a remuneration of 417 euros

https://www.eldebate.com/gente/20230...ar_101612.html

Thanks Lula for the post above. Glad to see she declines payment even if it's fair to her to be paid.

Re her ascension to Princess of Asturias on her birthday, hope the timing can be arranged so all the news on that week are featuring her. Can't wait to see her finally in a tiara moment and established as the next head of state.

[AnaC]

Originally Posted by JR76

So gap years aren't really a thing in Spain?

Not at all.

While most students start university at 18 there are always a few who change degrees, finish their studies and decide to start something new, did vocational training and then go for the university degree...It's not a big part of the student body but there are always some older students in every year.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by lula

Leonor will be used to being the youngest when she reaches university, and there she will be older than her peers.

In Spain, the usual thing is that students enter the university at the age of 18, after finishing baccalaureate and taking the university entrance exam in May. When she starts officer school, she'll do the first two courses in one, so she'll start with a group of students that will mostly be her age and then move on to students a year older.

In Spain, children are enrolled in school by year of birth, so having been born in October, she has always been one of the youngest in her class. In Wales this difference is greater, because students come from all over the world, from different educational systems and the schooling age is different, there are also cases of scholarship holders who try several times before being able to enter, and in her course there are people who already has reached the age of 19 or 20.

Since the Military Academy also offers a bachelor's degree course, can't Leonor transfer some credits earned at the Military Academy to her civilian degree at the university and skip many classes? That way she wouldn't start out with the freshmen, but probably take second-year classes instead.

[Somebody]

I guess it depends on which degree she intends to take. The military degree seems to be focused on engineering with lots of courses on mathematics and physics (the easier way to get her Bachelor's degree would probably be to do a fourth year focused on finishing her degree). So, if she would want to do a social science or humanities Bachelor (which seems more likely - as that is more common and useful for future monarchs), very few of her courses would be part of/relevant to her degree.

[BriarRose]

I believe one of the news releases about Leonor's future plans mentioned that she will get a law degree, just like her father.

Not that we can ever know, but I wonder if the plan to replicate her father's exact education is because Felipe thought it was successful; because Felipe feels they should establish tradition; or because there is pressure to make sure the woman heir is prepared exactly like her father.

It does appear that Leonor has the strictest and most formal educational plans of the future European heirs.

[kathia_sophia]

Originally Posted by BriarRose

I believe one of the news releases about Leonor's future plans mentioned that she will get a law degree, just like her father.

Not that we can ever know, but I wonder if the plan to replicate her father's exact education is because Felipe thought it was successful; because Felipe feels they should establish tradition; or because there is pressure to make sure the woman heir is prepared exactly like her father.

It does appear that Leonor has the strictest and most formal educational plans of the future European heirs.

I don't think it was announced that she'll study law in University. She might have the strictest and most formal educational plans, but she was the one who chose the UWC, right? Her father didn't study there, and she was the one to choose for herself that path. Maybe she'll also choose a different path of her father's after those 3 years of military education.

[Toledo]

A Law degree will help her with public speaking skills even if never gets to train in a courtroom. And if she gets skilled in international law imagine if she ended up elected president of the European Union while Dad Felipe is in Spain.

Ok, that's a stretch but it could happen. Her cousin Otto Von Habsburg, head of the Austrian Imperial House, was elected Member of the European Parliament in 1979. Regardless, Princess Leonor will be one of the most educated and well-prepared female crown royals in European history since Queen Elizabeth I of England.

[Toledo]

Article about Felipe and Letizia and the empty nest syndrome when Leonor and Sofia leave for school abroad:

(If page defaults to Spanish, just right click over it and select Translate)

The Kings and the empty nest syndrome: how to face the departure of Leonor and Sofia according to experts

"Empty nest syndrome refers to those emotional and physical symptoms that appear after children leave the family home. In general, it can be described as a feeling of sadness and loneliness, but there are times when these symptoms go far beyond a passing stage of discouragement...this syndrome can affect any parent, regardless of sex, employment, economic situation or interests."

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by Toledo

A Law degree will help her with public speaking skills even if never gets to train in a courtroom. And if she gets skilled in international law imagine if she ended up elected president of the European Union while Dad Felipe is in Spain.

Ok, that's a stretch but it could happen. Her cousin Otto Von Habsburg, head of the Austrian Imperial House, was elected Member of the European Parliament in 1979. Regardless, Princess Leonor will be one of the most educated and well-prepared female crown royals in European history since Queen Elizabeth I of England.

May I introduce to you Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, who was Queen Regant between 1983-2013. She holds a LLB, having graduated in 1961.

The current crop of Crown Princesses are becoming well-educated and well-prepared. Not just Leonor.

And I doubt the heir of a current reigning monarch in the EU will be president or even member elect of the EU Parliament.....

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by CrownPrincessJava

May I introduce to you Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, who was Queen Regant between 1983-2013. She holds a LLB, having graduated in 1961.

The current crop of Crown Princesses are becoming well-educated and well-prepared. Not just Leonor.

And I doubt the heir of a current reigning monarch in the EU will be president or even member elect of the EU Parliament.....

There is no "President of the European Union" by the way. The closest to that would be the President of the European Council (currently Charles Michel), who is not elected, but rather appointed by a double majority in the European Union Council, which is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states. As of today, the position of President of the European Council is also largely ceremonial with real executive power actually lying instead with the President of the European Commission, who is also nominated by the European Council, but at least has to be formally elected by the Parliament, which is normally a rubber-stamping procedure though.

Recent attempts to have the different political groups in the European Parliament put forward "candidates" for President of the European Commission in the European Parliament elections failed as the proposed candidate of the winning group was ignored by the European Council, who nominated someone else for the office (currently, Ursula von der Leyen), albeit theoretically affiliated with the largest political group in the Parliament.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by kathia_sophia

I don't think it was announced that she'll study law in University. She might have the strictest and most formal educational plans, but she was the one who chose the UWC, right? Her father didn't study there, and she was the one to choose for herself that path. Maybe she'll also choose a different path of her father's after those 3 years of military education.

While Felipe went to Lakefield College School in Canada, it has common ground with UWC, both are based on the educational concept of Kurt Hahn.
So my guess is that Leonor had a pick out of suitable colleges that are related to Kurt Hahn, whose schools have been frequented by royals like Philip, Sofia of Spain etc., Felipe and Letizia are patrons of the Foundation.
When looking at the options, there were maybe four or five (location wise) that were suitable for Leonor, therefore Wales was another choice that didn't leave much room for critizism.