Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, has been officially named Adoptive Daughter of Marín in a ceremony recognizing her year of naval training at the Spanish Navy’s prestigious academy in Marín, Galicia.
The city council of Marín awarded the 19-year-old royal with the honorary title on Monday, July 14, coinciding with her receipt of the Gold Medal of Galicia, granted by the regional government, the Galicia Junta.
The Spanish Royal Family shared touching images from the event via Instagram, showing the Princess of Asturias in full white naval uniform, receiving the dual honours with visible pride and composure.
The designation as an honorary daughter highlights the deep historical connection between the Spanish Royal Family and the port town of Marín, home to the Naval Military School where Princess Leonor has spent the past year in rigorous military training.
During her emotional acceptance speech, the future monarch expressed heartfelt thanks to the people of Galicia: “We have very little left to separate, but I won’t have any grudge because I want to return to Galicia forever. Or as I heard entering the Ferrol river, here is my home, where the sea ends. Moitas grazas, from the heart, for this honor that I receive with the excitement you felt in this land so welcomed and supported on the first day.”
This isn’t the first time the city has bestowed such an honour on a royal figure. King Felipe, then Prince of Asturias, was named Adoptive Son of Marín on December 16, 1986, during his own naval training—a symbolic echo that reinforces the monarchy’s enduring relationship with Galicia’s maritime heritage.