Princess Leonor's Military Studies

[Blog Real]

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will accompany Princess Leonor as she enters the Zaragoza Military Academy on August 17.

https://www.abc.es/espana/robles-af...incesa-leonor-academia-20230811161840-nt.html

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Details of the military education
https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/ara...r-zaragoza-agm-dos-cursos-en-uno-1671192.html

In the morning of August 17, Princess Leonor will start the frist year of her training at the General Military Academy, where she will do two courses in one year. The second year she will continue at the Naval School of Marín, in Pontevedra, where she will embark on the Juan Sebastián Elcano training ship; while the third year will she will attend the General Academy of Air and Space in San Javier (Murcia).
On October 7, when she is scheduled to swear an oath to the flag along with the rest of her classmates, the Princess finishes the first course and starts the second one.

Military sources explain that the regime is that of a boarding school, with a regular program that takes place from Monday to Friday. The students are housed in cabins with capacity for two, four or up to twelve people.
Classes last from 7:45 in the morning until 14:20 in the afternoon. On Fridays at 8 there is a formation for the raising of the flag in the parade ground and classes begin at 8:30.
The afternoons are 'free', although they are usually dedicated to preparing the next day's instruction, support classes, tutorials, etc.

 

[Muhler]

And here she is, the school ship Juan Sebastián Elcano.

https://www.dublinport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Juan-Sebastian-de-Elcano.jpg

Spain of course has a long and proud maritime tradition.

 

[Alisa]

I apologize if this was asked already.

How long will she be at the military academy for?
Os it just military education or will she be getting a bachelor's degree as well?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I apologize if this was asked already.

How long will she be at the military academy for?
Os it just military education or will she be getting a bachelor's degree as well?

One year at the General Military Academy, Zaragoza (Infantry), one year at the Naval School of Marín, Pontevedra, one year at the General Academy of Air and Space in San Javier, Murcia.
Its the same way of her father and grandfather.
No degree.

 

[Blog Real]

Princess Leonor begins a new stage in her work as heir to the Crown. Thus, the Princess of Asturias arrives this morning in the Aragonese capital to enter the Military Academy of Zaragoza.

The arrival of Princess Leonor at the Military Academy of Zaragoza will be after the entrance of the rest of the students to preserve the privacy of the young people and their families, as revealed by the Royal House.

The Princess of Asturias is accompanied by King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofía.

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...eso-academia-militar-reyes-despedida_3719070/

https://www.abc.es/espana/casa-real...on-primer-dia-princesa-20230817103819-nt.html

https://www.semana.es/casas-reales/...-ingreso-militar-zaragoza-20230817-002679963/

https://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_e...esa-leonor-ingresa-academia-militar-zaragoza/

https://www.hola.com/realeza/casa_e...nor-reyes-infanta-sofia-imagenes-despedida/1/

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...zaragoza-coleta-camisa-azul-princesa_3719543/

https://www.europapress.es/videos/v...ormacion-militar-zaragoza-20230817123315.html

https://www.semana.es/casas-reales/...lanes-reina-letizia-sofia-20230817-002680184/

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692124886754308548

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692129325380694342

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692179030701899973

https://www.casareal.es/ES/Actividades/Paginas/actividades_actividades_detalle.aspx?data=15830

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IULk5...gbGEgQWNhZGVtaWEgR2VuZXJhbCBkZSBaYXJhZ296YQ==

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfidxYTR60

The Princess of Asturias, accompanied by the King and Queen and Infanta Sofía, signs the book of honor at the General Military Academy, where today she will begin her military training.
https://twitter.com/CasaReal/status/1692129740457410756?t=3MTzA3QLeKVP3w5etX960A&s=19

 

[Mbruno]

One year at the General Military Academy, Zaragoza (Infantry), one year at the Naval School of Marín, Pontevedra, one year at the General Academy of Air and Space in San Javier, Murcia.
Its the same way of her father and grandfather.
No degree.

If she follows on her father's footsteps, she will move later to a civilian university in Spain to earn her bachelor's degree and then go overseas (probably the United States) for a master's.

 

[Adda]

From now on, she's "Dama Cadete Borbón".
How proud does Felipe look? He's such a calm and reassuring figure. Letizia was very emotional.

 

[An Ard Ri]

What an emotional day for the king and queen!

 

[Emmily]

What an emotional day for the king and queen!

They have every reason to be! Am I correct that for the first year all students will be on the ship that was shown in an earlier post?

 

[Adda]

They have every reason to be! Am I correct that for the first year all students will be on the ship that was shown in an earlier post?

No, Leonor will spend a year in Zaragoza (infantry), it won't be until next year that she will be on board the Juan Sebastián Elcano training ship. Afterwards she will spend her last year of training at the General Academy of Air.

An identical training to that of her father. Brava!

 

[Blog Real]

If she follows on her father's footsteps, she will move later to a civilian university in Spain to earn her bachelor's degree and then go overseas (probably the United States) for a master's.

Yes Leonor has had an identical path to Felipe:
She first studied at Colegio Santa María de los Rosales in Madrid, like Felipe.

Then she had an experience abroad at a college in Wales. Felipe studied in Canada.

Now the military formation identical to that of Felipe.

Then it is likely that she will study at a university in Spain and then abroad, as happened with Felipe.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Yes Leonor has had an identical path to Felipe:
She first studied at Colegio Santa María de los Rosales in Madrid, like Felipe.

Then she had an experience abroad at a college in Wales. Felipe studied in Canada.

Now the military formation identical to that of Felipe.

Then it is likely that she will study at a university in Spain and then abroad, as happened with Felipe.

Both attended colleges based on Kurt Hahn philosophy, only different countries.
I guess it will be a bit difficult for Leonor, as a woman, and she won't do the degree as her classmates will do.
Then going to Uni, older than her classmates.
But she is not an ordinary girl.

 

[Adda]

I guess it will be a bit difficult for Leonor, as a woman

Excuse me? There are plenty of women with military vocation.
Equality means equality of rights AND duties, Casa Real has messed up by "hiding" the girls from the public eye for years, but having Leonor replicate her father's training is a master move. Female heiresses shouldn't get shortcuts.

Leonor's military path is inspiring already. And considering what a complicated country Spain is, it might actually be better for her to go to University once she's in her 20's, and not at 17.

 

[TLLK]

What an emotional day for the king and queen!

Indeed. I was having flashbacks to when Leonor was a curly headed tot headed to her first day of preschool. Now she is leaving for the military academy.

 

[BriarRose]

This is such an exciting moment. I predict Leonor may make some of her closest friends in the next three years. Welcome to the sisterhood Cadet! I'm rooting for you

 

[kathia_sophia]

Wow, it was so emotional! I got tears! I was 15 years old when I saw her out of the clinic a week after she was born on National TV. I was young but I will never forget (I even bought HOLA magazine, which I still have!).


I wish her the best in this new path. I bet it will be challenging but exciting at the same time.

 

[fortimo]

Poor girl, I am so sorry for her. I can't imagine that it was her choice to go on this Academy.

 

[TLLK]

Poor girl, I am so sorry for her. I can't imagine that it was her choice to go on this Academy.

I tend to believe that Leonor has been prepared to attend the same institutions that her father did. She was educated at the same primary/middle school and went away for part of her secondary schooling like her father. She's following the same education path.

 

[Magnolia471]

Poor girl, I am so sorry for her. I can't imagine that it was her choice to go on this Academy.

Sorry for her? Do you realize there are thousands of women entering military academy every year? We don't know her personally. When it's a royal man with a uniform, it's almost getting fetishized but we should feel sorry when it's comes to women...It's 2023, the Army it's not for men only.

 

[Countessmeout]

Poor girl, I am so sorry for her. I can't imagine that it was her choice to go on this Academy.

This isn't hundred years ago. There are thousands of women in the military. This need to think of women as weak and not willing to serve in the army is beyond ridiculous.

 

[Adda]

Yes, there are plenty of women with military vocations, but the overwhelming majority of soldiers globally continue to be male, and equal-rights policies have not banished unofficial sex discrimination from military life. Spain, where the proportion of women in the military plateaued at around 12% during the 2010s, is no exception. As the princess of Spain, Leonor will most likely be shielded from the more extreme difficulties suffered by women in militaries (e.g., sexual harassment), but it is very possible that being part of a small minority will make her experience of military life a bit more difficult than it would be for a prince.

I served in the force, I don't need statistics to know girls don't sign up as much as boys, and that, although sad, it's not what was being discussed.

I don't know how Leonor -or any of the other 140 new Damas Cadetes- would have it difficult just because they're women. Boys struggle as well.

EVERYONE will face difficulties, it's a Military Academy, not Disneyland.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I served in the force, I don't need statistics to know girls don't sign up as much as boys, and that, although sad, it's not what was being discussed.

The post you quoted and replied to saying "Excuse me?" simply stated that "I guess it will be a bit difficult for Leonor, as a woman", so I'm not sure how it is possible to conclude that underrepresentation was not one of the difficulties being discussed by the original poster.

I don't know how Leonor -or any of the other 140 new Damas Cadetes- would have it difficult just because they're women. Boys struggle as well.

EVERYONE will face difficulties, it's a Military Academy, not Disneyland.

Yes, everyone will face difficulties (workers at Disneyland as well), and on an individual basis, certain male cadets will struggle more than certain female cadets. Nonetheless, some difficulties such as underrepresentation, maternity discrimination and sexual harassment affect women disproportionately even though men are affected as well.

ETA: Corrected "less" to "more".

 

[Blog Real]

First images of Princess of Asturias in the military uniform and receiving her first lessons.

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...eras-fotos-uniforme-militar-academia_3720463/

https://www.hola.com/realeza/20230818237435/primeras-imagenes-princesa-leonor-look-militar/1

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692584528336814128

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692582020038238212

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692579917244805534

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The post you quoted and replied to saying "Excuse me?" simply stated that "I guess it will be a bit difficult for Leonor, as a woman", so I'm not sure how it is possible to conclude that underrepresentation was not one of the difficulties being discussed by the original poster.



Yes, everyone will face difficulties (workers at Disneyland as well), and on an individual basis, certain male cadets will struggle more than certain female cadets. Nonetheless, some difficulties such as underrepresentation, maternity discrimination and sexual harassment affect women disproportionately even though men are affected as well.

ETA: Corrected "less" to "more".

Yes this is what I meant. The military still is very much a male dominated environment and you pointed out some of the difficulties that Leonor or in general female recruits might have to face even at this day and time.

Compared to the monarchies of her nordic or dutch counterparts, Leonor will be Head of State in a country with a lot of machismo.
As we have seen in other countries, being the monarch and mother giving birth to the children is a unique challenge. Of course not easy to find a husband in the first place who is willing to walk three steps behind, shut up while enduring the press.

 

[Magnolia471]

Yes this is what I meant. The military still is very much a male dominated environment and you pointed out some of the difficulties that Leonor or in general female recruits might have to face even at this day and time.

Compared to the monarchies of her nordic or dutch counterparts, Leonor will be Head of State in a country with a lot of machismo.
As we have seen in other countries, being the monarch and mother giving birth to the children is a unique challenge. Of course not easy to find a husband in the first place who is willing to walk three steps behind, shut up while enduring the press.

No offense but you have very backward mindset. Queen Elizabeth of England served in the army during the war and had no problem finding a partner who respected her role more than 80 years ago and you think women in 2023 can't do it.

 

[Prinsara]

No offense but you have very backward mindset. Queen Elizabeth of England served in the army during the war and had no problem finding a partner who respected her role more than 80 years ago and you think women in 2023 can't do it.

Elizabeth II served in an all-female auxiliary unit for a couple of months and was the only one who got to sleep at home at night. Never had to do PT or experienced anything close to what military officer cadets go through.

If you think the Duke of Edinburgh found it easy to (suddenly) be the Queen's consort instead of continuing his traditional military career for another expected couple of decades, I would suggest you look more closely.

It's not right to believe Leonor will automatically have problems just because she is female. It's also not wrong to believe that because she is female in a country with a machismo tradition, she might have to face things solely because of gender in 2023 and beyond. I don't recall having these discussions about Elisabeth in Belgium -- and we have no idea if she had issues or not.

 

[Adda]

Compared to the monarchies of her nordic or dutch counterparts, Leonor will be Head of State in a country with a lot of machismo.
As we have seen in other countries, being the monarch and mother giving birth to the children is a unique challenge. Of course not easy to find a husband in the first place who is willing to walk three steps behind, shut up while enduring the press.

Well, the heir from a "Machista" country is doing far more for equality than the heirs from Nordic countries. Countries that, by the way, usually have disproportionally high prevalence rates of intimate partner violence against women.

Speaking as a Norwegian, I'd prefer to see Ingrid do what Leonor is doing, instead of hearing about her oh-so-wonderful meatless birthday gala and seeing her as a supposed "environmental worker". Elisabeth and Leonor are leading by example.

First images of Princess of Asturias in the military uniform and receiving her first lessons.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692584528336814128

Leonor's name tag says "Borbón Ortiz" instead of just "Borbón". That's new, Don Felipe wasn't "Borbón y Grecia":

http://img.irtve.es/contenidos/fotos/felipeVI/029topografia.jpg

 

[Muhler]

I'm not particularly worried about Leonor in regards to having problems because she is a woman.

After all the cadets are pretty bright to even being admitted.
Spain is not a backward country and indeed in a number of ways is way more liberal than say the Scandinavian countries.
On top of that Leonor is the Heir and these cadets wish to have a career within the military and as such we must assume that most come with a set of fairly conservative values, in regards to king and country. And as such they may end up having some sort of affiliation with the monarchy - and their future queen... So p*ssing off Leonor by bullying her may not be a wise strategy!

Also, the instructors, staff and cadets are not stupid, they know Leonor has a specific job to do, where she is going to learn about the military but not being a career soldier. So there is little incentive to a b*stard towards her.

So while she may encounter the odd fool, idiot, macho man and no doubt when they are tired and worn out, get told off, I think most are determined to give her and each other a good experience.

 

[Somebody]

First images of Princess of Asturias in the military uniform and receiving her first lessons.

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...eras-fotos-uniforme-militar-academia_3720463/

https://www.hola.com/realeza/20230818237435/primeras-imagenes-princesa-leonor-look-militar/1

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692584528336814128

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692582020038238212

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692579917244805534

She doesn't look that excited... I truly hope she will enjoy her 3 years in the armed forces (and prepared herself physically over at least the last few months) as it is clear she had no choice in the matter at all.