Princess Leonor and other crew members of the training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano set sail on Sunday, March 23 from the Prat dock in the port of Punta Arenas (Chile), in the midst of the controversy caused by the publication of images of Princess Leonor walking in a local shopping mall.
Now, the emblematic training ship is sailing towards Valparaíso, in the central Chilean coast.
Chilean Prosecutor’s Office Investigates the Dissemination of Leonor’s Images
The dissemination of images of Princess Leonor captured by security cameras in a shopping mall in Punta Arenas has provoked an immediate reaction both in Spain and Chile, as we had already reported here in RoyalFamily.News.
The Chilean Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it has launched an investigation after receiving a complaint about the leak of the recordings, in which the heiress to the Spanish throne is seen during a visit to the mall.
The Spanish Royal Household, which considered the event a violation of data protection regulations, expressed its rejection of the disclosure of the images and filed a complaint with the Chilean authorities.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation was opened after Spanish guards reported the situation to Carabineros on March 21.
Images disclosed for “journalistic purposes”.
The administration of the Zona Franca shopping center, located in Punta Arenas, admitted having provided the images to the media.
“They were released at the request of the press and for journalistic purposes,” the establishment explained in a statement, adding that Princess Leonor toured the facilities without inconvenience or interruption.
However, the Prosecutor’s Office recalled that the Chilean Penal Code prohibits the capture and dissemination of private images without the consent of the person concerned.
The regulation establishes sanctions that include prison sentences and fines, depending on the seriousness of the infraction.
From Spain, the Royal Household insisted that the leak constitutes an “inadmissible infraction” of both Chilean legislation and the data protection laws in force in their country.
Leonor’s stay in Punta Arenas
Princess Leonor, 19, arrived in Punta Arenas on March 18 aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, as part of her military training with her classmates from the Escuela Naval de Marín.
During his stay in the city, he had the opportunity to visit some emblematic places, among them the Zona Franca shopping center.
The Elcano, which is making an extensive tour of America, sailed from Punta Arenas bound for Valparaiso. From there, it will continue its voyage to El Callao (Peru), Panama City, Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta, Santo Domingo and New York, before returning to Spain in July.
For the moment, the investigation is still ongoing and the Chilean Prosecutor’s Office is expected to determine whether there was criminal responsibility in the leaking of the images of the princess.