Doing her royal duty! Princess Leonor of Spain, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia’s eldest daughter, is stepping up to the plate.
The 13-year-old heir to the throne and future queen celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, October 31, by giving her first public address. Leonor read the first article of La Carta Magna, a document signed into law by Spanish parliament in 1978, during festivities for the Spanish Constitution’s 40th anniversary.
Leonor stunned in a sky-blue dress as she took the stage following her father’s introductory remarks at the Cervantes Institution in Madrid. The crown princess received a warm round of applause following her address as sister Princess Anne sat with Letizia in the audience. Meanwhile, Felipe joined Leonor by the podium after her remarks and gave her a kiss.
In January, Leonor reached a major milestone in her royal journey after Felipe awarded her with the Order of the Golden Fleece. The honor, an “element of tradition, continuity and institution,” according to the Zarzuela Royal Palace, symbolized Leonor’s first official step on her road to becoming queen someday. At the time, Felipe described the moment as a “symbolic and very important step” and a reminder of the “demands that come with being the crown princess.”
Leonor made another notable public appearance in September 2017 when she celebrated 1,300 years of the Kingdom of Asturias. However, she did not appear at the Princess of Asturias Awards earlier in October, the ceremony where Felipe made his first speech when he was 13.
