Update: When the news of Princess Leonor’s enrollment at Carlos III University in Getafe was made official, a wave of excitement swept across the campus. Students were gathered for a traditional courtyard lunch when the word spread, and according to our sister edition, ¡HOLA! Spain, the verdict is unanimous: she is a perfect fit.
Leonor is set to dive into a curriculum defined by rigorous classroom debate, which is a natural transition for a royal already seasoned in the art of public speaking. While her three years of military training provide a disciplined edge, she will face the same "dreaded" hurdles as her peers, specifically the notoriously difficult statistics and macroeconomics exams that are the talk of the faculty.
© Getty ImagesThe Daily Routine
The Princess will balance a professional 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM schedule with a relatable student lifestyle.
- The Commute: A 25-minute drive from Zarzuela Palace, requiring an early start to beat the morning rush.
- The Menu: Between lectures, she can grab the campus-favorite tomato toast or a $1.18 coffee. For lunch, the $6.77 cafeteria special featuring two courses and dessert is the gold standard.
- Social Scene: Forget the hazing of the past; the vibe is now about camaraderie. The "place to be" is El Eskinazo, a local haunt famous for "botellines" and mini-plates of huevos rotos.
© Paolo BloccoPrincess Leonor will begin her university studies in Madrid after the summer, the Spanish Royal Household has announced. The heir to the throne will pursue a degree in Political Science at Carlos III University in Getafe, just outside the capital. The four-year program is set to begin in the third term of 2026.
© Getty ImagesIn its statement, the Royal Household noted: “The Princess of Asturias has successfully completed the selection process required of students who have undertaken their secondary education abroad and has received a favorable decision from the Evaluation Committee in the admissions process. This undergraduate degree, taught on the Getafe campus, includes, among other subjects, coursework in Political Science, the Humanities, Law, Economics, Sociology, History, and International Relations.”
© Casa de S.M. el ReyThe palace also confirmed that “she will balance this period of higher education, in accordance with the university calendar, with her institutional duties as heir to the Crown, as she has done during her secondary studies and over the past three years at the military academies.”
© Casa RealA Defining New Chapter for Spain’s Future Queen
King Felipe has personally informed the Prime Minister of this next stage in the Princess of Asturias’s academic training.
© GTRESThroughout the past year, anticipation has been at a fever pitch over this next step in Princess Leonor’s life. University marks a pivotal chapter in her path as heir and will provide a cornerstone of the preparation she will one day draw on as Queen.
© WireImageAfter three years of training at the military academies, the Princess is embarking on a new and defining phase. University life is a crucial stage in shaping her as a future monarch, one that will equip her with a deep academic foundation, sharpen her critical thinking, and foster significant personal growth, all while delivering the intellectual and strategic training essential to her future role as head of state.
© GTRESThree Years of Military Training That Shaped Her
Leonor de Borbón is returning home to Madrid after three years of rigorous, demanding training in the Armed Forces, where she fully integrated into military life alongside her fellow cadets.
© Getty ImagesIn a 2023 statement, King Felipe and Queen Letizia said they viewed the Princess of Asturias’s military training as both valuable and essential, noting that it strengthens her sense of duty and commitment while preparing her for the representational responsibilities she will assume as heir to the Crown, in line with the provisions set out in Title II of the Constitution.
© Getty ImagesFor her part, Leonor entered this chapter fully aware of the discipline and sacrifice that military life requires and deeply conscious of the honor of training and serving alongside the men and women of Spain’s Armed Forces.
Zaragoza was her first posting. It has now been three years since she entered the General Military Academy as a cadet. It marked her debut in uniform, and she was seen undertaking grueling field exercises, rifle in hand, as well as taking part in major ceremonial moments, most notably her oath of allegiance to the flag, the defining milestone of her military career, symbolizing her pledge to defend Spain, even at the cost of her own life.
At the end of the academic year, she was awarded the Grand Cross of Military Merit with white distinction by her father, the King.
© Europa Press via Getty ImagesDuring the 2024 to 2025 academic year, she joined the Spanish Navy as a midshipman, training both at the Naval Academy in Marín and aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano. There, she undertook a month-long voyage that saw her cross the Atlantic and reach the Americas. It was a demanding and exacting journey but also one of those formative experiences that leaves a lasting mark.
This year, Leonor continues her training at the General Air Academy in San Javier, Murcia, as she prepares to transition to university, where she is expected to complete her studies shortly with the rank of officer cadet. These years across the Armed Forces have provided her with a well-rounded technical and personal education, reinforcing a lifelong commitment to service to Spanish society. They have also instilled values such as loyalty, discipline, courage, camaraderie, responsibility, integrity, and restraint—qualities essential for her future role as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, holding the rank of Captain General, the same position currently held by her father.
A Different Path for Infanta Sofía
Princess Leonor’s military training marked a clear distinction within the Royal Household. What, for the heir, was both a duty and an honor, given the role she has been destined for since birth, was not the same for her younger sister, Infanta Sofía.
© Getty ImagesWhile the King and Queen’s youngest daughter did consider joining the Army and even pursuing helicopter pilot training, she ultimately chose to begin a university degree, as first reported by ¡HOLA!. In her case, there is no requirement to undergo military training, and the decision underscored the different roles each sister will hold within the institution, though, for King Felipe and Queen Letizia as parents, there is no difference between their daughters.
© WireImageInfanta Sofía is now based in Lisbon, where she is studying Political Science and International Relations at the private Forward College. She is preparing to support her father and assist her sister with an education that leans more European and international in scope, while the Princess of Asturias will follow a similarly robust academic path but one rooted in Spain.
Following the King’s Path, With Key Differences
At her age, King Felipe began studying Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he also took a number of courses in Economics to round out his academic training. He later went on to earn a master’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C., graduating on May 26, 1995.
© Cover/Getty ImagesThe Autonomous University, his alma mater, had long been seen as the frontrunner. Until now, Leonor’s education has closely mirrored her father’s, with one notable exception, the two years she spent at a boarding school in Wales completing the International Baccalaureate. Felipe VI, by contrast, finished his final pre-university year in Canada.
However, as ¡HOLA! previously reported, Leonor was never expected to follow her father’s path exactly. Times have changed, and so have the demands of the role, factors that ultimately led her to choose a different route. While the Autonomous University remains one of Spain’s most prestigious institutions, with a strong international reputation and the added advantage of its proximity to the Zarzuela Palace, other options had also gained significant traction. Among them were Carlos III University, often seen as more modern and particularly well regarded in Economics and International Relations, and Complutense University, where her mother, Queen Letizia, studied journalism.
