The social news of the moment say that he was born at 1.46 in the morning, weighed three and a half kilos and measured 47 centimetres. Leonor de Borbón came into the world on October 31, 20 years ago. At the time it was not known whether she would have a male brother who would dethrone her in the line of succession because the Constitution, in its article 57.1, continues to give priority to the male child over the female to occupy the throne. Today, the Princess of Asturias, heir to the Crown and Head of State, is assuming ever more importance and embodies the essence of every monarchy: its subsistence. But despite the good image she projects among citizens, the eldest daughter of the Kings will continue to have to adapt the institution to the times in which she lives.
Since 2024, Casa del Rey has been trying to get closer to Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), Leonor’s peers. The Royal House’s Instagram account, created 17 months ago, already has almost one million followers; institutional events are visible on YouTube (almost 300,000 subscribers); the images are spread in
“Generation Z,” say the study authors, “although often portrayed as self-centered, has demonstrated its ability to mobilize for causes that transcend self-interest. Recent examples, such as the massive youth support in Paiporta, show that this generation is willing to give of themselves for a purpose bigger than themselves.”
The report reveals that young people are interested in the monarchy, despite not knowing what it is for. To overcome this problem, in 2009 the then princes created the Princess of Girona Foundation, an organization focused exclusively on young people.
“Accompanying” gestures are important for an heiress, Alonso believes. One of the great efforts of the Kings is that both Leonor and her sister, the Infanta Sofía, know the realities of the country. That’s why they went privately – even if such a visit always ends up being public – to the area devastated by Dana just before Christmas 2024. “It is expected,” adds the studio, “that Princess Leonor will establish a connection with younger generations, helping to maintain the importance of the monarchy in a changing society.”
Regarding her status as a woman – she would be the fourth queen of Spain after Isabel la Católica, Joanna and Isabella II, 190 years ago –, Emilio Lamo de Espinosa, a sociologist who founded and presided over the Royal Institute of Elcano, categorically states that she is “lucky” for the Spaniards. “He has enormous credibility and that comes across,” he adds, alluding to his first official solo acts.
“What Leonor gives us,” says Camilo Villarino, head of the King’s House since 2024, “is that image that women can be heads of state, queens, with absolute capabilities. This is the message, which is very powerful, especially for young people.” One of her predecessors in office, Fernando Almansa, fondly recalls that he sees the heiress’ commitment as “very much in line” with that of her father when he was Prince of Asturias. «All the letters», says Alberto Aza, «head of the Chamber from 2002 to 2011», indicate that there is a future (of the monarchy) with Leonor.
The role of Queen Letizia is praised by those who know how Royal Houses, or rather Families, work. “She had a lot of influence,” says Rafael Spottorno, former head of the House of the King. A reliable source believes that the moment Philip VI’s wife understood that her role would be that of mother to a queen, and not just being the queen herself, the institution began to take off. And when Philip VI was proclaimed head of state in June 2014, after the abdication of his father Juan Carlos I, due to private and financial scandals, the institution’s rating in the polls was at its lowest. Since then, the CIS has not directly asked about the King’s House, but experts recognize the performances of Felipe VI and Leonor and Queen Letizia’s behind-the-scenes work in repairing her House’s image.
Dozens of presidents await the crown princess, mostly from Latin America, and have a Secretariat that advances its own agenda and is expected to grow exponentially over the years. For now it is occupied by the Queen’s Office.
“Leonor,” the authors of the aforementioned study believe, “must also be a projection of what Generation Z can aspire to be.” The princess will have to maintain the traditions, liturgy and mystery of a dynasty, but at the same time be the head of a 21st century monarchy, as Philip VI promised in his proclamation speech in 2014. Jaime Alfonsín, head of the Chamber from 2014 to 2024, explained in October, when he entered the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, that the heir “cannot ignore the past, but neither can she be conditioned by it”.
Studies
But all this will happen after Leonor has finished her university studies, which everything suggests will begin when her period in the Armed Forces ends, of which she is symbolically called to be the Captain General. According to more than half a dozen sources consulted, who know well how the Zarzuela works, Infanta Sofía’s choice to have studied abroad – at the Forward College, where she will study International Relations in Lisbon from September, and will continue in Paris and Berlin – was not wise for a woman who will not only be the greatest support of the future head of state, but who occupies second place in the line of succession, a “not easy” role, adds Villarino.
The voices that believe that Princess Leonor should study at a public Spanish university, to get closer to the citizens, are therefore increasingly numerous and louder. Their education is a “matter of state,” Alfonsín explained. In this way he will also follow in the footsteps of his father, who studied Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM); and also those of his mother, who studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). “Choosing a public university could strengthen its image of proximity and service, but what is important is not so much the place as the meaning it gives to that stage,” adds Alonso. However, the fact that it could be a center in the capital generates some perplexity among scholars of the institution, who believe that it would be good for the heiress to spend some time in some other region of a heterogeneous country like Spain. “The Crown is not just Madrid,” summarizes one of them.
As happened with her sister Sofia, mystery continues to surround the career the princess might pursue, but there are some subjects that, according to experts, a head of state must tackle: public law, international relations, economics, sociology, history and, of course, mastering other languages. Leonor already speaks English and French, has knowledge of the “official languages of the state”, according to the King’s House, and is learning Arabic. And this “strengthens her profile as a future international representative of the monarchy,” says the REMCO study, because “as a future head of state, the princess is expected to develop diplomatic skills.” His time at the United World School (UWC) in Wales, UK, went in that direction. Of course, for Alfonsín, who maintains that reigning is not studied either at school or university, it is essential that the heiress takes care of her environment and chooses her friends well so that “they are not guided by interest”, perhaps in a veiled allusion to the environments of the king emeritus and what some of them meant for the future of the institution.
Offspring
The princess is now 20 years old and “probably”, says Lamo de Espinosa, there is already someone in La Zarzuela who is thinking about this problem. “In five, six or seven years we will be talking about their marriage,” he predicts. “The decision about his marriage is the most important for his future and for the future of the institution,” argues Alfonsín, who also served as the prince’s secretary during his courtship with Letizia Ortiz, among others.
“The future (of the institution),” adds the sociologist, “is assured because in a monarchy there is no vacancy.” The question of descent will once again open the debate on the reform of the Constitution, which still favors men over women in succession.
The public and private education of a Generation Z heiress is “complex and difficult”, suggests Alfonsín, the prince’s coach, who can “overwhelm and overwhelm”. But it is essential, he concludes, for what he calls “the office of ruling.”
