Leonor bent to retrieve the small gold insignia after it came loose during Spain’s National Day military parade in Madrid on 12 October 2026. The ceremony continued without interruption.
She stood beside Felipe VI and Queen Letizia; Infanta Sofía was also present. The king noticed the insignia fall and pointed it out to Leonor, who picked it up.
She put it in her pocket, and the ceremony carried on. Later, after the family took their seats in the reviewing stand, Felipe helped attach it again. RTVE and El Correo documented the brief sequence; Infobae and El Español also covered it. The incident did not affect the parade. HuffPost España reported that the fallen item was a miniature Toisón de Oro insignia attached to Leonor’s parade uniform, not the order’s full collar.
The insignia marks Leonor’s place as heir to the Spanish throne. RTVE describes the Golden Fleece as the Spanish Crown’s highest distinction and most prestigious chivalric order. The family’s connection to the honour began when Felipe VI decided to award Leonor the Collar of the Insigne Order of the Golden Fleece. The Council of Ministers was informed on 30 October 2015, in keeping with the tradition of distinguishing the heir to the Crown.
Leonor received the insignia from her father at the Royal Palace on 30 January 2018, Felipe’s 50th birthday. She wore it publicly for the first time on Spain’s National Day later that year. It appeared at several official events after that, including the 12 October 2023 parade, where she wore the Army’s full-dress uniform for the first time. Vozpópuli and El Independiente reported that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia led the military part of the parade. Their daughters, Leonor and Infanta Sofía, attended the central events in Madrid.
The order was founded in 1430 by Felipe III, Duke of Burgundy. It became linked to the Spanish monarchy through the inheritance of the Houses of Burgundy and Habsburg. Felipe VI is now its grand master.
