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The heir to the Spanish throne arrived at Carlos III University of Madrid on Sept. 7 to start a four-year bachelor’s degree in political science.
She wore loose-fitting jeans, white sneakers and a short-sleeved white silk Zara shirt, completing the look with braided hair and a handcrafted hobo bag from Spanish brand MAS1 worth US$196, according to Hola!
Fashion writers at El Periódico observed that the young royal's outfit successfully combined premium domestic accessories, accessible retail clothing, and classic restraint. The publication highlighted that the future monarch is deliberately projecting an approachable, modern, and polished public image as she steps into civilian student life.
The atmosphere on the school campus when Princess Leonor appeared. Video from Instagram
Royal fashion commentators frequently point to Leonor as an emerging figure with the "potential to become a fashion icon," according to coverage by Trendencias. The platform credited her success to "building style from a classic, discreet, and youthful foundation," noting her habitual reliance on tailored pantsuits, sleek neutral evening dresses, and practical low heels or flats during official state functions, a stylistic profile corroborated by Vogue España.
This styling closely mirrors the public wardrobe strategy of her mother, Queen Letizia, who routinely mixes high-street items with Spanish labels for public engagements, per reporting from Vanity Fair. Observers cited by the magazine interpret this sartorial pattern as a conscious show of accessibility and direct support for Spain's domestic apparel industry.
Having recently concluded three full years of rigorous defense education, the eldest daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia hopes to experience an ordinary university routine as much as possible.
Nevertheless, her arrival on campus sparked significant excitement and caused a noticeable stir among the student body. Hugo Pérez, a 22-year-old student, told Hello! that witnessing such an exceptional crowd assemble to welcome an incoming classmate is an exceedingly rare event on university grounds.
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| Princess Leonor on her first day of university, Sept. 7, 2026. Photo from Instagram MAS1 |
Carlos III University Rector Angel Arias stated that the princess arrived feeling "excited and ready" for her initial day of lectures. Arias underlined that no special entrance procedures were established for the royal heir, confirming that admissions rested entirely on standard standardized entrance criteria and that faculty assignments remain unchanged.
At 21 years of age, Leonor is the first in line to the Spanish throne, possessing fluency in Spanish alongside English, French, Catalan, Galician, and Basque.
Her university enrollment follows intensive military schooling designed to ready her for her eventual role as commander-in-chief, royal correspondents noted. In 2023, King Felipe and Queen Letizia publicly stated that defense training was vital for instilling a deep sense of civic responsibility, discipline, and personal sacrifice in their daughter, as verified in official communiqués from Casa Real.
Leonor initiated her defense track as an officer cadet at the Military Academy in Zaragoza, enduring harsh field maneuvers before receiving Grand Cross of Military Merit with white decoration from her father.
Her younger sibling, 19-year-old Infanta Sofía, took a separate academic route and is currently enrolled in a political science and international relations degree at Forward College. Both royal daughters are continuing a strong family tradition of higher education; King Felipe previously earned a law degree from the Autonomous University of Madrid, while Queen Letizia completed university studies in journalism.
