Big day for Princess Leonor in Zaragoza, capital of the community that has been her home for the last nine months. About to end the year of training at the General Military Academy (AGM) of the Army, which will be followed by another in the Navy and a third in the Air Force, the heiress receives this Tuesday the tribute of the citizens and the Aragonese institutions, which present him with their highest distinctions in an intense day through the most emblematic places of the city.
The symbolic day started at 10:30 in the Aljafería Palace, headquarters of the Cortes of Aragon. Dressed in the second-year cadet uniform of the General Military Academy of Zaragoza, consisting of a khaki trouser suit and jacket with a white shirt, gold laces and black tie, the Princess of Asturias arrived in an official vehicle to the venue.
In the fortified Arab palace, which dates back to the 11th century, she was received by community authorities, including the president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón; the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the president of the Chamber, Marta Fernández; the Government delegate, Fernando Beltrán, and the Justice of Aragon, Concepción Gimeno.
After greeting the members of the Board and the Board of Spokespersons, as well as the former presidents of the institution, they entered the courtyard of Santa Isabel, where the concession agreement was read and the medal was placed on them as a sign of the “affection and recognition” of the Aragonese people and “everlasting memory of a relevant period” of his life in this community. Immediately afterwards, after the family photo with the deputies, among whom were not the representatives of Chunta Aragonesista, Izquierda Unida and Podemos, the princess signed the golden book of the Cortes in the Throne Room of the Catholic Monarchs, famous for its magnificent golden Mudejar coffered ceiling and profuse decoration.
The second of the official events took place at 11:15 at the Zaragoza City Hall, where she received the distinction of Adopted Daughter of the city. 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.
To do this, the princess has been received in the Plaza del Pilar by the mayor, Natalia Chueca, and the rest of the municipal corporation. Once inside, she signed the golden book in the reception hall before the ceremony was held in which the agreement granting the title was read, which includes the “deep affection” and “close and special connection” with Saragossa. She was presented with her title and baton of command and a photo was taken with the authorities present: the president of Aragón, Jorge Azcón; the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the former mayor Luisa Fernanda Rudi and the current mayor. Neither Juan Alberto Belloch, due to health problems, nor Pedro Santisteve were former mayors.
At its conclusion, the most emotional moment of the day was experienced. It was when the citizens were able to see the princess walk on foot in the company of the Aragonese president the 200 meters that separate the Town Hall from the cathedral of La Seo, the place where the kings of the Crown of Aragon swore their privileges and where they awarded the Medal of Aragon.
In the Zaragoza cathedral she was received by the vice presidents and advisors of the Government of Aragon and by the archbishop of Zaragoza, Carlos Escribano, and she entered the temple when the march of John II sounded, the same one that sounded on St. George’s Day moments before. of the delivery of the distinctions. She has also heard the Aragon anthem.
In front of some 390 guests, Azcón read the praise and Leonor de Borbón closed the ceremony with a speech in which she acknowledged that she feels like “another Aragonese, one more skilled”: “In Zaragoza, in Aragón, I have felt in home, welcomed and accompanied in a land that will always be part of my life. There are only five weeks left for me to leave, for me to receive my ensign’s office, and I’m already starting to miss you.”
The heiress has assured that “what I have experienced here far exceeds what I thought ten months ago,” she noted in reference to her stay in the Aragonese capital, where she arrived on August 17. The event closed with the Spanish anthem and then a cocktail party was held in the courtyard of the Alma Mater Museum, annexed to the cathedral.
With today’s actions, the Princess of Girona follows in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe VI, who also trained at the General Military Academy and received these three distinctions: the Medal of the Cortes and the appointment of Adoptive Son in 1986. , when he was studying at the AGM, and the Aragon Medal in 1989, at which time he completed all his military training.
For her part, the heiress faces the final stretch of her stay in Aragonese lands, which will take place between the final exams of the second semester and the last maneuvers, 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 a course later at the Air Force Academy in San Javier (Murcia).
