Time flies. When Princess Leonor began her studies at the Zaragoza Military Academy, the prospect of university seemed distant, almost abstract. But three years have passed, and she is about to complete her training in the three armies. Now, the question that hangs in the air is a concrete one: where will she study?
With just three months until the pre-registration process begins, the issue is no longer speculation; it’s a decision that, if not already made, is very close to being made.
The UAM, the most historically and symbolically significant option
His father provided the most obvious clue. In 1988, Felipe VI, then Prince of Asturias, enrolled at the Autonomous University of Madrid to study law.
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia chose a public university, even though they could have selected any institution in the world, and that was no coincidence. Today, in 2026, with the debate between public and private education more heated than ever in Spain, Felipe and Letizia repeating that gesture with Leonor would carry enormous political and symbolic weight.
The counterpoint: what they already did with Infanta Sofía
Of course, there is another side to the coin. Infanta Sofia, the youngest daughter, is studying Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, a private university with campuses in several cities.
This course is currently in Lisbon and will move to Paris in September. The two sisters also attended high school together at the same private school in Wales. Given that recent history, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think the family might repeat the pattern.
But here’s the key: Leonor is not Sofia. One is the future head of state; the other is not. And that difference changes everything.
Law or Political Science: the most likely career paths for Leonor
Regarding her future studies, the most likely choices are Law, as her father did, possibly followed by a master’s degree in International Relations—Felipe completed his at Georgetown—or Political Science, which was the major of her aunt, Cristina de Borbón, at Complutense University.
Leonor should have pre-registered by mid-June and officially enrolled in July. In three months, we’ll have all the answers.