Princess Leonor resumed her naval training on Thursday aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano.
The heiress arrived early at the port of El Musel in Gijón after changing ships the night before from the frigate Blas de Lezo, where she spent several weeks completing demanding exercises in conditions typical of a warship.
Her arrival marks the beginning of the final stage of her training as a midshipman, in which she will share the final days of sailing with her 76 classmates, whom she had not seen since the stopover in New York.
Dressed in her white uniform, Leonor reappeared smiling and friendly among her classmates, like one of the crew.
The Royal Household shared new images of the princess during the stopover, which included a visit to the Jovellanos Maritime Rescue Center.
There, she received detailed information on safety at sea, emergencies, and the environment, and attended a rescue drill led by the center’s director, Julián Camus.
It was a day marked by practical training, technical learning, and direct contact with maritime rescue work.
The arrival of both ships in Gijón took place in a family atmosphere. Only the relatives of the students were allowed access to the dock to greet them briefly after almost six months at sea.
The frigate Blas de Lezo arrived shortly after the Elcano, symbolically closing the hardest stage of Leonor’s training, in which she lived with a military crew, participated in real maneuvers, and became fully integrated into the routine of an operational ship.
After this stop in Gijón, the Elcano will continue its journey through Spanish waters, with stops in Ferrol and Marín. In the latter Galician city, the princess will receive her discharge from King Felipe VI, a key moment that will mark the end of her time in the Navy.
Afterwards, she will attend the Princess of Girona Awards and enjoy a few weeks of rest before beginning her training in the Air Force at the General Air Academy in San Javier in September.