Princess Leonor wears cadet uniform to receive special honour

Princess Leonor donned her cadet uniform as she marked a new milestone at military school on Tuesday.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain's daughter, 17, received her officer's saber at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, along with 560 newly admitted cadets, to mark her entrance into the Officer Scales of the General, Quartermaster, and Polytechnic Engineer Corps of the Army, as well as the Guardia Civil Corps.

It's a significant ceremony as it's the first one new students participate in and because it symbolises their attainment of the titles 'knight' or 'lady cadet.'

The Spanish palace shared new portraits of the future queen following the ceremony, showing Leonor standing to attention in her uniform and holding her newly-awarded saber.

Leonor enrolled at the military school last month, with her proud parents and younger sister, Infanta Sofia, 16, seeing her off on her first day. See the emotional moment in the clip below…

The princess will spend the first year of her training at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza, followed by a year in the navy. She will complete her third and final year at the General Air Academy.

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On Wednesday, the palace also confirmed that Leonor has completed a period of basic military training, including shooting exercises and combat tracking.

Leonor graduated from UWC Atlantic College in May after completing a two-year International Baccalaureate programme.

Sofia has followed in her big sister's footsteps and is now studying at UWC Atlantic College, with the palace sharing photos of the princess leaving the family's home in Madrid to travel to the UK.

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Meanwhile, King Felipe and Queen Letizia wowed at the opening of the 2023/2024 season of the Teatro Rea in Madrid.

The queen, 51, looked beautiful in a black taffeta A-line dress by The 2^nd Skin Co, and slingback heels.

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She accessorised with a simple black clutch and hooped earrings.

Meanwhile, the king, 55, looked smart in a dark suit with a lemon-hued tie. 

King Felipe and Queen Letizia, who married in 2004, returned to a full calendar of royal engagements in August after spending their annual family holiday in Palma de Mallorca.

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