Princess Leonor will embark on a new stage of her military training aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, an experience that will mark a before and after in her preparation as future queen of Spain.
From January 11, and for 140 days, the heir to the throne will live with her classmates in a demanding environment.
Leonor’s Naval Training
The plan, designed specifically for her, follows in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe VI, who carried out a similar program at her age.
Although tailored to her commitments, Leonor will face the same challenges as any midshipman, with tasks that include watchkeeping on rotating shifts, maneuvers on the high seas and living in a confined space.
Aboard the brigantine-schooner, the princess must learn the ship’s technical nomenclature, from the names of the sails to the masts and spars.
Like any third-year student, she will combine her studies with compulsory watches, which are divided into four-hour shifts 24 hours a day.
The routine will not be easy. The days include academic activities, navigational maneuvers and seafaring practices, all while adapting to the changing weather conditions and the confined space of the women’s sundeck, which she will share with three other female shipmates.
Daily tasks and challenges
Among the tasks she will perform are the deck sweeping, an activity that reinforces teamwork, and the maneuvers of the sails, considered some of the most spectacular and, at the same time, risky.
In addition, the princess will participate in the watch from the bridge, together with the officers, ensuring that the navigation is safe and the maneuvers are carried out correctly.
Each day, two or three students have the honor of sharing a table with the captain during meals, a tradition that encourages close interaction with command figures.
The crew also includes a doctor, a priest, and even a brass band, which accompanies the brief moments of leisure on board.
Protocol events
Before setting sail, Leonor will participate in a tribute at the Pantheon of Illustrious Sailors in San Fernando. This intimate but traditional ceremony is one of the most symbolic events of the voyage.
The voyage, besides being a technical training, has a diplomatic component. The Juan Sebastián de Elcano acts as an itinerant embassy of Spain, organizing receptions in the countries it visits.
The princess, like her companions, will be in charge of welcoming guests in port and showing them inside the ship.
With this voyage, Leonor follows the path marked by previous generations, with the history and tradition of the Royal House.