Spain's Royal Family is scheduled to attend two major institutional events in July. On July 10, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are expected at the graduation ceremony for Air and Space Force officers at the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio in San Javier, Murcia. Infanta Sofía is also expected to attend. The ceremony marks the completion of Princess Leonor’s military instruction, the final stage of a three-year programme at Spain’s army, navy and air-force academies.
Leonor’s training began at the Academia General Militar in Zaragoza in 2023, continued at the Escuela Naval Militar in Marín and concluded at San Javier during the 2025 to 2026 academic year. There, she trained as an alférez alumna of the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio and joined the 83rd Promotion. The sequence took her through the academies of all three armed services, preparing the heir to the throne for constitutional and representational duties linked to the Crown. The structure drew on the training Felipe VI undertook, while reflecting the academies’ current structure.
The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the academy’s basic square and will mark the latest cohort of lieutenants’ graduation. Leonor’s completed instruction is separate from her formal appointment to officer ranks, which is planned for July 2027. She is expected to receive the Army rank of teniente de Infantería. In the Air and Space Force’s flight specialty, her rank will be teniente; in the Navy’s General Corps, it will be alférez de navío. Felipe VI is due to confer the ranks at the respective academies. Defense Minister Margarita Robles is also expected at the San Javier event. The academy has expanded its curriculum to cover space-related disciplines and updated its official name.
Correos has marked Leonor’s military formation with a commemorative strip of four stamps, as reported by Infobae. The issue has a print run of 60,000 and costs €10.78 per strip. Three stamps show Leonor in uniforms from the Army and Navy, with the Air and Space Force also represented; the fourth features an institutional portrait. The stamps reflect the three-academy pathway and distinguish the 2026 completion of instruction from the formal commissions planned for the following year.
On July 14, the Royal Family will travel to Barcelona for the 2026 Princess of Girona Awards at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. The gala returns to the venue for a second consecutive year, bringing together figures from business and academia, alongside people involved in science, culture or social initiatives connected to the Fundación Princesa de Girona. Journalist Cristina Pampín will host the event, which takes shared talent as its theme. Performances will include a dialogue between Luz Casal and Soleá Morente, as well as a dance piece choreographed by Sílvia Batet’s company.
The foundation’s board will meet alongside the awards programme, and the Royal Family will join trustees and this year’s young laureates for a gathering. Activities will take place on July 13 and 14. The Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau will host a networking session for the Young Talent Forum on July 13, with 2021 award winner Ousman Umar in attendance and a screening of Viatge al país dels blancs, based on his story. On July 14, Esade will host the third edition of the Young Talent Forum, connecting young professionals with patron companies and Talent Tour partners. Employability and entrepreneurship will be among its themes, alongside new idea.
This year’s Princess of Girona Awards will recognize Hatim Azahri Akhnous in the Social category, Patricia Aymá in CreaEmpresa, Gemma Blasco in Arts, Rafael Luque in Research, Mercedes Bidart in International-CreaEmpresa and Mexican astrophysicist José Eduardo Méndez in International-Research. Established in 2010, the awards promote young talent in Spain and internationally.
The July engagements place Leonor’s public role in two distinct contexts: the end of her military education and her participation in an awards programme focused on young talent. The San Javier ceremony completes her instruction; the later commissions will formally confer ranks across the three services. For context on institutional timelines and generational transitions in Spain’s public life, see this analysis of early political candidacies and internal party dynamics: PSOE's internal race and its impact on regional politics.
