Spain's Princess Leonor has held a private reunion with her younger sister, Infanta Sofia, in the northern city of Gijón during her naval training duties.
The 19 and 18-year-old daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are the first and second in line to the Spanish throne
The meeting was seemingly kept secret by the Spanish royal family, with no official documentation on their social media channels.
Royal blogger Javier Lopez revealed the encounter after a photograph of the sisters with an elderly woman surfaced on social media.
Princess leonor Infanta Sofia have reunited amid the future Spanish Queen's naval service
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Lopez wrote on X: "Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía reunite in Gijón after the arrival of the Juan Sebastián Elcano. The sisters dined at the Casona de Jovellanos, the only trace of this reunion, as @CasaReal has not documented it on any of its social media."
The photograph showed the 19-year-old heir to the Spanish throne still dressed in her naval uniform, whilst Sofia appeared relaxed in a white shirt and skinny jeans.
Their close relationship has been evident since childhood, with Leonor notably holding her younger sister's hand when they began attending Santa María de los Rosales School in 2010.
Leonor is currently continuing her six-month maritime deployment aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano.
The 19 and 18-year-old daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are the first and second in line to the Spanish throne
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The future queen has been undertaking intensive naval training as part of her military preparation, having already visited several South American ports during her voyage.
This marks the second family reunion for Leonor during her naval training.
In May, she met with her mother, Queen Letizia, who flew to Panama City to see her daughter.
The pair had previously seen each other in January when Leonor first began her naval duties as a midshipman.
Leonor is currently undertaking a six-month maritime deployment as part of her naval service.
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During that earlier meeting, Leonor was observed running across the port to embrace her mother, with the two chatting enthusiastically after months apart.
The princess's current deployment spans six months at sea, with her vessel having already called at Peru, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay.
Her itinerary includes upcoming stops in Colombia and the Dominican Republic before concluding in New York.
Leonor's naval training forms part of her comprehensive military preparation as Spain's heir presumptive.
LATEST ROYAL NEWS:
🔴👑La Princesa Leonor y la Infanta Sofía se reencuentran en Gijón tras el desembarco del Juan Sebastián Elcano. Las hermanas cenaron en la Casona de Jovellanos, único vestigio de este reencuentro, ya que @CasaReal no lo ha documentado en ninguna de sus redes sociales. pic.twitter.com/5PFNlpQAZ7
— Javier López (@Javi99) July 4, 2025
She has already completed a year of army training at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza.
Following her current maritime deployment, the princess will undertake her final year of military training with the Spanish air force.
This three-year programme across all branches of the armed forces is designed to prepare her for her future role as Commander-in-Chief when she eventually ascends to the throne.
The rigorous military education ensures the future queen will have first-hand experience of all three services she will one day lead.
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