This Saturday, Princess Leonor set sail aboard the training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’, marking the beginning of the XCVII Training Cruise from the Port of Cadiz.
Leonor’s departure was full of tender and emotional moments, especially during her farewell with her parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
Princess Leonor’s Farewell
Once on board the ship, the King and Queen descended to land and from the dock they said goodbye to all the midshipmen, focusing their attention especially on their daughter.
Queen Letizia could not help shedding some tears, showing the depth of her feelings at this important moment for the Princess of Asturias.
Before setting sail, the midshipmen had twenty minutes to go ashore and say goodbye to their loved ones.
Leonor took advantage of this time inside the ship, where she had a private meeting with her parents. According to sources close to Zarzuela, King Felipe VI told his daughter: “Enjoy this experience, it is unique,” words full of wisdom, given that he himself made the same crossing 38 years ago.
Leonor has been “excited and focused” in this new stage of her military training.
During the Christmas vacations, she took advantage of the time to listen to her father’s advice.
“The King is very attentive to his daughter and tries to share with her his experience to provide her with useful ideas during her time on the training ship,” commented sources close to the family.
The Princess of Asturias will spend six months aboard the ‘Elcano’. Her journey will take her across the Atlantic Ocean, around South America, crossing the Panama Canal and the Caribbean Sea, until she arrives in New York.