Aragón prepares to make Princess Leonor his own. With just a few weeks left until she completes her first year of military training at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza, the main Aragonese institutions will pay her a heartfelt tribute next Tuesday, May 21, in which it will be the first civil act of the heiress of the Crown in the Aragonese capital.
As confirmed this Monday, Leonor de Borbón will first go to the Aljafería Palace to receive the Medal of the Cortes, the highest distinction awarded by the regional parliament.
They do so, as they said last week when announcing this award, as a sign of the “affection and recognition” of the Aragonese people for the princess and as an “everlasting memory of a relevant period” of her life in the community.
From there, she will go to the Zaragoza City Council, in Plaza del Pilar, where she will be granted the title of Adoptive Daughter, as approved by the municipal plenary session on April 25. With this distinction, the Zaragoza council intends to “record the city’s affection” for the future queen, value what she represents for the Aragonese capital and all of Spain and thank her for her connection with the city.
The distinction of Adoptive Daughter is granted to people not born in Zaragoza but who have stood out for their merits or qualities, especially in the cultural, scientific, social, artistic, political or economic fields, or for services provided for the benefit of the city.
Finally, the heiress will walk at noon from the town hall to the Cathedral of San Salvador (La Seo), located next to the Plaza del Pilar, to receive the Gold Medal of Aragon from the hands of the regional executive.
Princess Leonor, it is stated in the concession order, “has earned the general affection of the Aragonese people and has shown a special sensitivity” towards this land during her training at the Academy.
The choice of place is loaded with symbolism. La Seo is where the kings of the Crown of Aragon swore their privileges and it will be precisely in that place where the protagonist of the day will say a few words of gratitude before participating in a reception in the courtyard of the Archbishop’s Palace, right in front of the cathedral. .
With these acts, the princess firmly follows in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe VI, who also trained at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza and received these three distinctions in 1986 as Prince of Asturias and then a knight cadet.
With the delivery of these titles, the princess faces the final stretch of her stay in Aragonese lands, which will take place between the exams of the second semester and the last maneuvers, which are the most demanding of the year.
Once passed, it is expected that on July 3 he will receive his office as second lieutenant. A month later he will enter the Navy Academy in Marín (Pontevedra) to continue his three-year military training, which he will complete at the Air Force Academy in San Javier (Murcia).