After completing a training period in New York and months of instruction aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, Princess Leonor is preparing to take on a new military responsibility.
The heir to the throne will join the frigate Blas de Lezo as an officer, a combat vessel considered one of the most advanced in Europe, currently deployed in the Mediterranean, near Ceuta and Melilla.
A New Role for Leonor on Spanish warship Blas de Lezo
During her stay, she will share practices with fifth-year Navy students and begin to perform the duties of an officer.
She will have to familiarize herself with the ship’s defense and tracking systems, participate in operational missions, and supervise groups of sailors.
She will also be responsible for organizing shifts, looking after the well-being of her team, and leading tasks on board, in what represents her first direct experience with command functions.
Day-to-day life on the frigate will be different from that on the Elcano. She will share a cabin with another colleague in a more spacious area, have internet access in the officers’ quarters, and stand guard both day and night, including duties on the bridge and in the Combat Information Center, where crucial strategic decisions are made.
This intensive stage will conclude with her return to Gijón to rejoin her colleagues on the Elcano. Together, they will complete the training cruise on July 14 in Marín.
This experience, designed as part of her preparation as future head of the Armed Forces, offers her a new practical step toward that role.