Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, received the Gran Cruz del Mérito Naval with a white distinction from her father, King Felipe VI, during a ceremony at the Spanish Navy’s Military Academy in Marín, Pontevedra, on 16 July. The decoration marks the completion of her first year of military training with the Armada and coincides with her promotion to the rank of second midshipman, the same grade as her classmates. The event formed part of the annual commissioning of 130 new naval officers and the oath-taking of 86 first-year cadets. It was presided over by King Felipe VI and attended by Queen Letizia, Infanta Sofía, Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Galicia’s regional president Alfonso Rueda and senior naval commanders. Leonor’s award comes two days after she was granted Galicia’s highest civilian honour, the Medalla de Oro, in Santiago de Compostela. Having completed months of coursework and sea duty aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, the Princess is scheduled to continue her tri-service education at the Air Force Academy in San Javier this September.