The end of summer brings with it one of those moments that the Bourbon family experiences with a mixture of excitement and nostalgia: the departure of Leonor and Sofia.
The king and queen have made the most of their last few days with their daughters before each of them resumes their own path, very different from each other but equally significant.
During the holidays, we saw them together, laughing in Mallorca and enjoying private family plans in Greece, aware that these shared moments are becoming increasingly rare.
Leonor at the Air Force Academy
Leonor, the heiress, now faces the most demanding phase of her military training. After Land and Sea, it is now the turn of the Air Force.
At the General Air Academy in San Javier, she will be just another cadet among those in the 78th class. Classes, training flights, physical preparation, and strict discipline await her.
The goal is clear: in 2026, she will receive the Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit from her father. And with that, she will mark a milestone as the first European royal to be trained in all three branches of the military.
Sofia to Lisbon
Meanwhile, Sofia is making her debut on a totally different stage in Lisbon.
There she is beginning Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, an academic project that will later take her to Paris and Berlin.
I find it particularly symbolic that she is starting out in the Chiado neighborhood, with its bohemian and cultural atmosphere.
The Infanta is entering an international phase that will bring her into contact with young people from all over the world and will undoubtedly help her grow in independence and judgment.
The beauty of this story is that, even though their schedules keep them apart, they remain close, described by those who know them as “complicit and wonderful.”
They seek each other out, write to each other, and support each other. And they already have a date for their next reunion, which will be on October 24, at the Princess of Asturias Awards.
There they will be together again, showing themselves to be two sisters who accompany each other in everything.