Leonor, Princess of Asturias

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• Johann the Younger #6346
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Leonor, Princess of Asturias is the heir presumptive to the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. In addition to the official title of Princess of Asturias, she bears the historical titles of Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera and Lady of Balaguer. Her sister, Infanta Sofía, follows her in the line of succession.

Leonor was born on 31 October 2005 at 1:47 am in the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid by means of a caesarean section necessitated by non-progression of labour. Her birth was announced by the Royal Family to the press via SMS. Her umbilical cord was clipped and sent for storage to Cord Blood Registry based in Arizona. Leonor left the Ruber International Hospital with her parents on 7 November 2005. She was baptised in the Zarzuela Palace by the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Rouco Varela, on 14 January 2006. Like her father in 1968, Leonor was christened with water from the Jordan River, a royal custom. She was also given the additional names of de Todos los Santos, a Bourbon tradition. Her godparents were her paternal grandparents, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía.

Leonor's education began at the daycare for the children of the Spanish Royal Guard. She began her first year of elementary school on 15 September 2008 at the Santa María de los Rosales School in Aravaca, just outside Madrid. Her father is an alumnus of the private school and her younger sister Sofía is also enrolled there. Leonor is fluent in both Spanish and English and has studied Mandarin.

In May 2014, Leonor made her first official visit to the San Javier airforce base in Murcia.

On 18 June 2014, King Juan Carlos signed the instrument of abdication, which went into effect at midnight, 19 June 2014. At this time, Leonor's father became the King of Spain as Felipe VI, and Leonor herself became the heir presumptive and the new Princess of Asturias. Spain's monarchy operates under a system of male-preference cognatic primogeniture, meaning that Leonor, as the elder of Felipe's two daughters, is first in line to inherit the throne. Under the current law, however, if her father ever has a legitimate son, Leonor would be displaced in the line of succession and again become an infanta.

There have been discussions about changing the succession law to absolute primogeniture, allowing for the inheritance of the eldest child, regardless of gender; however, the birth of Leonor, followed by that of her younger sister Sofía, stalled these plans. Despite a recent change from male-preference to absolute primogeniture for Spanish titles of nobility, as of 2018 no legislation has been passed affecting inheritance to the throne.

If Leonor ascends the throne, she will be Spain's first queen regnant since Isabel II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868.

In October 2014, a wax figure of Leonor was unveiled at the Museo de Cera in Madrid. On 20 May 2015, Leonor received First Communion as per Catholic custom.

A day before her 10th birthday, she was granted the Order of the Golden Fleece by her father. In addition, the Council of Ministers approved the design of her personal standard and guidon.