A photo of Princess Leonor is circulating these days, and what makes it unique is that the Royal Household did not release it.
The photo exists; it is official, and it shows Leonor aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano wearing a midshipman’s uniform, but the Zarzuela decided not to publicize it.
According to sources close to the Crown, the communication strategy has changed, and now only events that represent a truly new development or an unprecedented milestone will be publicized, so as not to overwhelm the media agenda with every step of her military training.
What the unpublished photograph of Princess Leonor in the Navy shows
The photo shows her wearing the Navy’s winter uniform, a navy blue sailor jacket with gold buttons and epaulettes in the same color. She is also wearing the sash of the Order of Charles III, which her father presented to her on her 18th birthday, and the Order of the Golden Fleece, one of the most important honors she has received in her life.
It is a formal photo, carrying all the symbolic weight that comes with it, but what makes it more personal is the dedication that Leonor wrote on it.
“To the training ship Juan Sebastián El Cano, on the occasion of my embarkation on the 97th training cruise, which I will always cherish as a deeply emotional memory. With affection, Leonor, Princess of Asturias.”
It’s worth noting that Leonor spent six months aboard the Juan Sebastián de Elcano between January and July of last year, crossing the Atlantic and visiting Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama, and the United States.
That phase of her training ended when the ship docked in Marín, and she then began her training with the Spanish Air Force, where she currently continues in San Javier.