Cadet Lady Borbón Ortiz is now a second lieutenant. After ten and a half months of studies and maneuvers at the General Military Academy (AGM), King Felipe VI presented Princess Leonor with two important distinctions today: her appointment as a cadet second lieutenant and the Grand Cross of Military Merit with a white emblem.
It was during a solemn ceremony held in a fully decorated parade ground packed with spectators that the Princess of Asturias bid farewell to her time at the Army Ground Forces training school before embarking on her vacation. In August, she will move on to the Naval Academy in Marín (Pontevedra), where she will continue her military studies as a frigate ensign.
The event began at 11:30 in the morning with the arrival of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, along with Infanta Sofía, at La General, as this institution is popularly known, where they were greeted with the national anthem and 21 cannon salutes. Among the other authorities present were the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, the President of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, and the Chief of the Defense Staff, Teodoro Esteban López Calderón.
Afterwards, the king has reviewed the forces gathered there, including his daughter, and occupied the presidency alongside the queen and Princess Sofia. After listening to the prayer of thanksgiving, the cadet dama Borbón Ortiz, dressed in a khaki suit with a six-pointed star on her shoulder, stepped forward alone from the formation where she was waiting.
After approaching the king, he was bestowed with the title of Army officer and, with visible signs of complicity, awarded the Military Merit Grand Cross with a distinctive white, reserved for those who have served in the Armed Forces. It is the same decoration he received in July 1986 from his father, the then king Juan Carlos I, after completing his year of studies in Zaragoza.
After the heiress to the throne, who has now assumed the presidency, the king has presented the commissions and conferred decorations upon the distinguished officers of this promotion: five lieutenants from the General Corps of the Army (GCEA), one from the Corps of Commissariat (Cinet), and one from the Civil Guard. Then it was the turn of the rest of the lieutenants who graduated today – a total of 456, including personnel from the Army (285) and members of the Civil Guard (171) – who received their commissions from various civil and military authorities present.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the general director of the AGM, Manuel Pérez López, stated in his address that it was a “very special” day, both for the royal family and for all the relatives of the graduating lieutenants. Addressing the princess, he assured her that they are “going to miss her”, as she has “left a mark” among her classmates, those from other courses, the officer corps, and teachers.
“You carry a backpack full of experiences, values, knowledge, friendship, and camaraderie,” he noted, a pack that has “helped me grow as a person” and allowed him to appreciate “the Army and those who serve in its ranks” more. He also pointed out that he has forged an “unbreakable bond” with his colleagues and friends, forged in “very tough” moments and “magnificent experiences,” something that “you will never forget.”
The military ceremony concludes with the parade of the new lieutenants of the Army and the Civil Guard and the usual ‘dismissed’, topped off with the tossing of their berets in the air as a symbol of their departure from the military institution to be assigned to their destinations. In a more relaxed atmosphere, the king and queen, along with the princess, will sign the Book of Honor, take some photographs, and participate in the social event organized in the facilities of the venue.
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First year of training
Cadet Ensign Borbón Ortiz arrived in Zaragoza on August 17, 2023, “nervous” but “eager,” as she herself stated, accompanied by her parents and sister amid great social and media anticipation. On that day, before seeing her join the other cadets, the monarch recalled the path he had taken 38 years earlier and advised his daughter to have “enthusiasm, patience, and effort” to face this new stage.
Since then, he has followed a specific program that combines two courses into one, with up to four training periods in the field and classes with the rest of his peers. Additionally, he has left behind a detailed photo album that includes his first photos in dress uniform – swearing allegiance to the flag, offering to the Virgin of Pilar – or performing military exercises with a painted face, crawling on the ground, or carrying a rifle.
Beyond the academic realm, like other cadets, Leonor has been seen in her leisure time in some shops, bars, and restaurants in the capital of Aragon, a community that honored her in May by awarding her its highest distinctions (Aragon Medal, Cortes Medal, and Adopted Daughter of Zaragoza). “You have made me feel like a Zaragozan,” she acknowledged from the pulpit of La Seo Cathedral.
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A busy schedule
While formally starting her vacation, Princess Leonor’s schedule is packed for the upcoming days. On July 5th, she will accompany her father to Lleida for the delivery of the royal employment bonds at the Basic Academy of Subofficers. Five days later, she will take part in the annual Princess of Girona Awards ceremony in Lloret de Mar, while on the 12th, she is scheduled to make her first official trip abroad with a visit to neighboring Portugal, where she will be received at the Belém Palace by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
In Pontevedra, his training as a midshipman will be completed starting next January with his training on the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano, although it is not yet confirmed whether he will do the full six-month voyage or only part of it. The following year, he will complete his military training with a third course at the Air Academy in San Javier (Murcia).