Spain’s Princess Leonor de Borbón presided over her first public event without the presence of her father, King Felipe VI, on Wednesday at the 30th anniversary celebration of a language and cultural center.
The 15-year-old Leonor was accompanied by deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo on her arrival at the Cervantes Institute’s headquarters in Madrid. The institute director, Luis García Montero, also accompanied the princess.
Leonor, who is heir to the Spanish throne, deposited a copy of Spain’s Constitution and Miguel de Cervantes’ classic “Don Quixote” in the institute’s literary vault, where it stores Spanish-language literary treasures.
The Cervantes Institute promotes the learning of the Spanish language and literature around the world.
Spain’s royal house is going through its most difficult moment since the restoration of democracy in the late 1970s due to the alleged financial improprieties of Felipe’s father, former King Juan Carlos I.
As part of her grooming to one day succeed the 53-year-old Felipe, the royal house announced in February that Leonor would complete her last two years of high school at a boarding school in Wales.
