Good Lifestyle

Adolescence is a stage that entails many challenges, but going through all those physical and emotional changes not only under the public eye, but with the weight of knowing that your future will be to hold the reins of a monarchy, makes everything even more difficult. This is the case of Leonor de Borbón, princess of Asturias and first in the line of succession to the throne of Spain, and also of her sister, Infanta Sofía. Keep reading to find out what strict measures King Felipe VI and Letizia have taken to help their daughters cope with their responsibilities, including external support.

The next queen

Since she was born in 2005, the world has known that Leonor will be the future queen of Spain. The firstborn of the House of Bourbon, she began her preparation from a very young age with classes in oratory, expression, protocol and an academic career that has included the International Baccalaureate at the British boarding school UWC Atlantic College in Wales. After graduating, she joined the General Military Academy in 2023, since as queen she will also have supreme command of the Armed Forces. The following year he entered the Naval Academy and his military training will end in 2026, at the General Academy of Air and Space. All this, while attending and giving speeches at public events both on his own behalf and accompanying his parents.

A little less pressure

In the case of Sofía, born in 2007, the kings have ensured that she receives the same opportunities as her sister, although the pressure on her is less, since she is unlikely to hold the crown (the moment Leonor has her first son or daughter, her position in the line of succession will drop). He also took the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College, from which he graduated in 2025, and chose not to receive military training. Instead, he began studying Political Science and International Relations at the University of London's Forward College. Of course, he also accompanies his family to public events and is known to be a great support for his sister Leonor in all her activities.

Strict measures

One of the things that the public has criticized about Queen Letizia is how strict she can apparently be with everything related to her daughters. Well known was the impasse that she had in 2018 with her mother-in-law, Queen Emeritus Sofía, in the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, when she prevented her from taking a photo with Leonor and Sofía because she had not approved it. Letizia controls the public image and behavior of the princesses, has made them take speech and language classes, has educated them to eat healthily and, as far as is known, does not allow them to party like other girls their age do. All this, in order to protect them and prepare them for their future as faces of the Royal House of Spain.

Necessary therapy

Despite appearing to be a “tough” mother, Letizia and Felipe VI know that all these responsibilities have fallen on their daughters without them asking for it. For this reason, and as confirmed by several sources close to royalty, the queen consort considers that her daughters need professional help to learn tools that allow them to face this type of life: Leonor has attended psychological therapy since she was 6 years old, while Sofía, having a slightly smaller burden than her sister, started at the age of 10. In the case of Leonor, Letizia's goal is for mental health professionals to help her meet the demands of her role, while for Sofía, the sessions try to ensure that the infanta does not have problems with “being second class” and that she maintains her cheerful personality.