During the months of training aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano, Princess Leonor has lived an experience that her father, King Felipe VI, knows very well.
Not only because they shared the same naval training, but also because of a coincidence that time has turned into an almost poetic anecdote: both were photographed enjoying a day at the beach during an international stopover of the emblematic ship.
Photo of King Felipe in a bathing suit
It was 1987 when a young Felipe, then Prince of Asturias, was featured on the cover of ¡Hola! magazine.
In the images, he was seen relaxing, wearing a colorful swimsuit, running along the sand and enjoying the sea with other midshipmen.
The photographs were taken in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the first international stopover of his voyage.
On that trip, in addition to fulfilling official acts, the current monarch had the opportunity to get to know the festive atmosphere of the city, even participating in a costume party and going out to the trendiest nightclubs, since the visit coincided with the famous Rio de Janeiro Carnival.
Thirty-eight years later, it is his daughter Leonor who has lived an almost identical moment.
The scene took place in Uruguay, during the second international stopover of the Elcano.
The photos, published on the cover of Diez Minutos, show the Princess of Asturias in a bikini, enjoying the beach with her companions.
Although they were taken on March 6, they did not come to light until April 2.
On board the Elcano, the cadets’ routine is full of discipline: classes, training and watch shifts mark the daily rhythm. That’s why, when the ship docks in a port, time off ashore becomes a long-awaited respite.
Both the then young Felipe and his daughter Leonor knew how to take advantage of those moments to relax, like any other midshipman.
The curious thing about this parallelism does not go unnoticed. The Royal House has always wanted Princess Leonor to follow in her father’s footsteps, and has done so from her studies to this demanding stage of military training.
However, no one imagined that even the memories captured by the camera would follow the same script.
This coincidence, beyond the anecdotal, reveals a generational connection that remains strong between father and daughter.