How 18-year-old Princess Leonor could save the Spanish monarchy (2024)

Despite being just 18 years old, Princess Leonor of Spain is being clearly pointed out as the key to saving the Spanish monarchy.

The teenage daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia turned 18 in October and is following in her father and grandfather's footsteps by completing her military training at Zaragoza Military Academy in Northern Spain.

Since celebrating her milestone birthday, it seems the monarchy has begun to look to the young Princess as a beacon of hope after years of scandals and affair rumours- which notably led King Juan Carlos to abdicate in 2014.

In more recent months, Queen Letizia herself has been faced with unprovenaccusations of an affair, with none other than her ex-brother-in-law Jaime del Burgo.

So perhaps it's no surprise that Queen-in-waiting Leonor features prominently in anew photographic exhibition at the Royal Palace in Madrid, which opened on Monday, documenting the first decade of King Felipe and Queen Letizia's reign.

The exhibition is titled Felipe VI 2014-2024: A decade in the history of the crown of Spain, and will offer free access to visitors on June 20. Afterwards, visitors can see the exhibition as part of general admission to the palace.

Notably, the most prominent of the large photographs feature Leonor, hinting that the future of the monarchy will be secure under her rule.

A description of the exhibition says it includes 'the most important events' of the decade - and, significantly, many include Leonor.

In the photographs, Leonor is seen exchanging smiling glances with her father, showing their close bond.

Ana Romero, biographer of Juan Carlos, told The Timesthat the exhibition's message is that the anniversary 'marks a turning of the page after having overcome a terribly difficult decade'.

Meanwhile Ana de la Cueva, head of Patrimonial Nacional, which manages Spain's royal palaces and heritage, told the newspaper: 'The start of the reign was a new period about transparency and communicating with the public and the hard work of the monarchs for the concerns of the people.'

Speaking about Leonor, she added: 'Her training has been thought out to guarantee the professionalism of the princess.'

Princess Leonor has turned 18 last October and begun her three years of military training.

In May she was elected as the 'Adopted Daughter' of Zaragoza, 38 years after the King was honoured with the same role.

After a year at the academy, it is expected that Leonor will move to a naval academy in Spain, before heading for her final year of training at the General Air Academy.

This year she has been featured more and more in the country's important events, making her debut appearance at the new year Military Easter ceremonyin January alongside her parents.

She was clearly confident as she stood alongside her mother and father in her full military uniform.

On her birthday, Spain hailed its future Queen as Princess Leonor asked the Spanish people to 'put their trust in her' as she swore loyalty to the constitution.

This means that she can now officially act as regent in the absence of her father.

Confident Leonor even gave her first public speech aged just 13 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish constitution, already showing strong promise as the future leader of the country.

When she ascends the throne, Leonor will be Spain's first queen regent in for 150 years, but even more significantly she is viewed as a figure who will complete her father's work of distancing himself from the scandal that engulfed her grandfather, King Juan Carlos.

King Felipe VI has now been on the throne for a decade after pledging to introduce a 'renewed monarchy' in 2014.

His efforts to steady the monarchy seem to have paid off for the most part.

A third of the population believes that the crown is 'much better' today than it was in 2014 when he came to the throne, according to a poll in the El Mundo newspaper.

But recent months have threatened to undo his good work in stablising the monarchy, particularly as his wife Queen Letizia has herself been embroiled in affair rumours.

Late last year Letizia's ex-brother-in-law explosively claimed that he had once been romantically linked to her.

Jaime Del Burgo, 53, who is based in the UK, has shockingly alleged that he and the Spanish King's wife had an affair after the former journalist's 2004 nuptials to Felipe VI. He has more than once doubled down on the bombshell claims on social media.

Neither Spain's Royal Family nor Letizia have made any comment about the claims repeatedly and very public aired by Jaime del Burgo or Jaime Penafiel.

Referring to the scandal last year, a spokesperson for the Spanish Royal Family told FEMAIL: 'We have no comment to make about this.'

In Mayjournalist Jaime Peñafiel, 91, launched a fresh attack on the European Queen with his new book 'Letizia's Silences'.

Jamie claimed that Felipe was 'aware that Letizia was cheating on him in real time' as her bodyguards have an obligation to report on her whereabouts.

The author alleges that bodyguards joined Queen Letizia on a trip she took to New York in 2011 with her 'lover' Jaime del Burgo, whom she had dated before meeting Felipe.

The author wrote: 'That day [in New York], she was accompanied by her faithful escorts, who, without a doubt, any, they would pass a report to the Ministry of the Interior or [the Palace of] Zarzuela.'

Following this, Jaime claimed that Felipe has been left 'crushed and destroyed' by his wife's alleged cheating.

In 2014, King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne in favour of his son King Felipe after a series of scandals.

In 2012 Juan Carlos was embroiled in a series of affair rumours, including going on a trip to Botswana with his former mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein while Spain was in an economic crisis.

The media found out after he was flown home for a hip replacement and published photographs of Corinna.

At the same time, Carlos's son-in-lawIñaki Urdangarin and Felipe's sister Cristina de Borbon were facing corruption charges.

Though Cristina was acquitted, Urdangarin was jailed for embezzlement and it cast a notable stain upon the monarchy's reputation and Juan Carlos was forced to abdicate.

He now lives in exile in the UAE, estranged from his wife Queen Sofia and the rest of his family.

Spanish author Amadeo Martinez Ingles has claimed Juan Carlos slept with 62 women in just one six-month stint, and allegedly bedded more than 2,000 female partners between 1976 and 1994.

Meanwhile, Princess Diana denied suggestions that Juan Carlos ever made a pass at her, but did say that he could be a 'little too attentive'.

Juan Carlos remains married to Queen Sofia, despite the spate of reported uncountable affairs.

In the months before his abdication, speculation about his future had been rife, with his health increasingly under the spotlight.

Both of his hips had to be replaced and he needed the help of a cane during public appearances.

In recent months, King Felipe seems to have taken his acts of reform even further, appointing a new head of the royal households and other key posts.

In January,Camilo Villarino was appointed head of the royal household, replacing Jaime Alfonsín - who had served for over 30 years.

And in April, Queen Letizia made history as she hired a female secretary for the first time, breaking tradition in the royal household and showing that they are embracing modernity.

When he came to the throne, King Felipe reduced the members of the royal family to only include himself and Letizia, their two daughters, and his parents - in a move reminiscent of King Charles III's own slimmed-down monarchy.