Spain is preparing to witness the return of a queen after a gap of 150 years, and this time the crown is set to pass to a princess who represents a blend of education, military discipline, and a global outlook. According to international news agencies, Princess Leonor, the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, is being prepared at just 20 years of age for a role Spain has been waiting a century and a half to see fulfilled.

Following her accession to the throne, Spain will have its first reigning queen in 150 years. The last woman to rule the country was Queen Isabella II, whose reign ended in 1868. Since then, Spain has seen a succession of kings, but the royal crown has not once rested on the head of a woman.

Spain’s monarchy belongs to the Bourbon family, which has symbolized royal authority since the 18th century. In 2014, after the abdication of former King Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI ascended the throne. At that same moment, Princess Leonor was formally declared the heir apparent. Born in 2005, she is constitutionally the sole successor to the Spanish throne after her father.

The preparation of the future queen has not been limited to ceremonial royal traditions. Under Spanish law, military training is mandatory for the heir to the throne, and Princess Leonor has fulfilled this requirement with notable seriousness. She completed her International Baccalaureate at the prestigious UWC Atlantic College in Wales, where her personality was shaped through an international and global perspective. Afterward, she formally began her military training in Spain.

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In August 2023, Princess Leonor started her army training in Zaragoza. The following year, she entered naval training and joined the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano as an ordinary crew member. During this phase, she completed a demanding maritime journey of 17,000 miles over 140 days, highlighting the intensity and discipline of her training.

She later served aboard the advanced warship Blas de Lezo, regarded as a key asset of the Spanish Navy. Princess Leonor also made history in the air. In December 2025, she successfully completed her first solo flight in a PC-21 aircraft, becoming the first woman in the Spanish royal family to achieve this milestone.

During her air force training, the Region of Murcia announced the award of a Gold Medal to Princess Leonor. This recognition reflects how she is being viewed as a future commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Princess Leonor is fluent in several languages, including Spanish, Catalan, English, French, Arabic, and Mandarin, making her a distinctive royal figure on the global stage.