Spain's Princess Leonor Makes First Working Visit to Portugal

Her Royal Highness Leonor, The Princess of Asturias, who just turned 18 in October 2023, seems to be the busiest young heir to the throne in Europe below 25 years old.

She has been performing royal duties nonstop lately apart from attending her military training in Zaragoza where recently she received a military honor from her father, King Felipe VI of Spain, who is Spain's Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

On July 12, a day after she presided over the Princess of Girona Awards in Catalonia (with her father), Princess Leonor traveled to Lisbon, Portugal for her first official working visit abroad.

The visit to Lisbon is at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal. Before she left Madrid, she was given the farewell honor at the airport.

Farewell ceremony at the Madrid airport 

In Lisbon, she was received at the Belém Palace by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in full military honors. The President granted her with the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ. 

Marcelo referred to the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ as “a tribute to your Highness, to the Kingdom of Spain, to our friendship forever”.

Princess Leonor welcomed by the President of Portugal 

Princess Leonor and her entourage then visited the tomb of Camões in the Jerónimos Monastry and Oceanarium, highlighting her visit with the focus on the protection of the environment and the conservation of the oceans, which are priority issues for Portugal and Spain.

Princess Leonor receives by the President of Portugal

“The choice of Portugal as the destination for the first official trip abroad of the Princess of Asturias reflects and strengthens the bond of closeness that unite the two countries,” says the official statement.

This is the first official public engagement of the princess as Spain's working royal, the visit lasted four hours only. Princess Leonor wore a bright red pantsuit from Carolina Herrera.