Princess Leonor of Spain — officially Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz — is the heir to the Spanish throne and the first woman in line to become queen in her own right since Isabella II in the 19th century. Born on 31 October 2005 in Madrid, her early life was deliberately kept quieter than that of many European heirs. Her parents, then Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, wanted her childhood to feel as normal as possible before public duty took over.
This article covers her birth, family, baptism, school years, and the moment she became Princess of Asturias — the foundation of the life she leads today.
Birth and First Days
Leonor was born at 1:46 a.m. on 31 October 2005 at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. The birth was three weeks early and ended in a caesarean section after labour did not progress. She weighed 3.54 kilograms and measured 47 centimetres.
The royal household announced the news by SMS. Her father, then Prince Felipe, told reporters it was “the most beautiful thing that can happen to anyone.” Her grandmother Queen Sofía described the newborn as round and chubby; early press notes mentioned light brown hair and blue eyes.
A small angioma appeared on her nose in the first months. Doctors called it harmless, and it faded on its own. Her umbilical cord stem cells were stored in a private bank in Tucson, Arizona — a decision that sparked debate in Spain at the time.
She left hospital with her parents on 7 November 2005, her first public appearance in Letizia’s arms.
Full Name, Baptism and Godparents
Her full baptismal name is Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz. Felipe later said they chose “Leonor” because it had historical weight in Spain and both parents liked it.
She was baptised on 14 January 2006 at Zarzuela Palace by Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, then Archbishop of Madrid. The ceremony used water from the River Jordan and the same Romanesque font used for Spanish princes since the 17th century. She wore the christening gown once used by her grandfather King Juan Carlos.
Her godparents were her paternal grandparents: King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía.
Family Background
Leonor is the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia (born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a former television journalist). She has one younger sister, Infanta Sofía, born on 29 April 2007.
On her father’s side she belongs to the House of Bourbon. On her mother’s side her background is more ordinary: Letizia’s family includes a nurse and a radio journalist, and Leonor’s maternal grandmother Paloma Rocasolano remained a private point of contact outside palace life.
Spain’s succession law still prefers males over females of the same degree. Because Felipe and Letizia had two daughters and no son, Leonor stayed first in line. Had a younger brother been born, the constitution would have needed reform for her to remain heir. That debate never became necessary.
How She Became Princess of Asturias
Until 19 June 2014 she was Infanta Leonor, second in line after her father. That day King Juan Carlos abdicated and Felipe was proclaimed king. Under Article 57.2 of the Spanish Constitution, Leonor — then eight years old — became Princess of Asturias, and also Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera and Lady of Balaguer.
Those titles belong by tradition to the heir of the historic kingdoms that formed Spain. From that point her public role grew, though her parents still limited appearances.
Childhood Education
Her parents chose a relatively ordinary school path rather than a palace tutor.
- 2007: Nursery at the Royal Guard’s school at El Pardo Palace, sharing class with children of the Guardia Real and other military families.
- September 2008: Santa María de los Rosales in Aravaca, Madrid — the same private, mixed, secular school her father attended. She stayed there through primary and secondary years until 2021.
She made her First Communion on 20 May 2015 in the school uniform, like her classmates. Confirmation followed at the same school in May 2021, with King Felipe as sponsor.
Reports from those years describe her as a diligent student who also took cello lessons. English, French and Arabic were added to her studies, along with Spain’s co-official languages. Almost no classroom detail leaked — a sign of how tightly the family managed her childhood.
First Public Steps
Official outings were rare at first: Christmas cards, Easter Mass, occasional family events. One early official visit was to the San Javier air base when she was nine, shortly before her grandfather abdicated.
Her first major solo moment came later: at 13, she gave her first public speech at the Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo in 2019. That speech is now treated as the start of her independent public voice.
In 2018, on her father’s 50th birthday, she received the Order of the Golden Fleece, a symbolic step toward her future role.
From Childhood to Preparation for the Crown
After finishing school in Madrid, Leonor left Spain at 15 for two years at UWC Atlantic College in Wales (2021–2023), where she completed the International Baccalaureate in a boarding environment with students from many countries.
That chapter sits just outside “early childhood,” but it grew directly out of the education her parents chose: first a Spanish school like her father’s, then an international setting like the one Felipe himself experienced in Canada.
From 2023 to 2026 she completed three years of military training across the Army, Navy and Air Force — the path expected of a future commander-in-chief. In September 2026 she began a four-year Political Science degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
Those later stages matter for context. The character of her early life — protected, structured, and kept away from constant cameras — is what made that later training possible.
Quick Facts: Princess Leonor Early Life
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full name | Leonor de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz |
| Born | 31 October 2005, 01:46, Madrid |
| Hospital | Ruber International Hospital |
| Parents | King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia |
| Sister | Infanta Sofía (b. 29 April 2007) |
| Godparents | King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía |
| Baptism | 14 January 2006, Zarzuela Palace |
| Became heir | 19 June 2014 (age 8) |
| First school | Royal Guard nursery, El Pardo (2007) |
| Main childhood school | Santa María de los Rosales, Madrid |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Princess Leonor born?
31 October 2005, at 1:46 a.m. in Madrid.
Who are Princess Leonor’s parents?
King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia.
Does Princess Leonor have siblings?
Yes. Her younger sister is Infanta Sofía, born in 2007.
What school did Princess Leonor attend as a child?
After a year at the Royal Guard nursery, she attended Santa María de los Rosales in Madrid — the same school her father attended.
When did Leonor become Princess of Asturias?
On 19 June 2014, the day her father was proclaimed king.
