King Felipe and Queen Letizia had a busy schedule amid their daughter, Princess Leonor’s Spain return.
On Thursday, July 3, the Princess of Asturias came back to her country after spending six months on the training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano for her naval training.
However, upon her arrival in Gijón – a large coastal city in northern Spain – the Princess’s parents, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, were nowhere to be seen to welcome her.
The Monarch and his wife had to skip their elder daughter’s milestone moment due to their official duties.
On the same day, the father of two presided over the presentation of the National Research Awards 2024 – Spain’s most important recognition in the field of scientific research – at the Royal Palace of El Pardo.
"Today Spain recognizes your work and pays tribute to you because you are hope. Your talent drives progress and builds the future, and today we value and defend it in a new edition of these awards,” stated the King in his speech.
He added, “The drive to science gets in the way of us all. It does not happen by chance; it is a collective commitment to the future that all of society must promote and realize.”
Meanwhile, Queen Letizia stepped out to lead the meeting of the Patronato of FAD Juventud – a Spanish non-profit foundation that aims to improve young people’s well-being and life quality.
In an Instagram post, the Royal Family shared that during the meeting, the mother of Princess Leonor addressed “one of the most complex realities currently affecting the youth of our country and the violence that is practiced in the digital environment.”
For those unaware, Princess Leonor began her six-month naval training in January 2025.
