There is strong support for the heir to the Spanish throne, Princess Leonor, undertaking military training, according to a new poll.
The survey, for leading newspaper ABC, shows two thirds of those asked want the Princess of Asturias to train with the military once she has completed her secondary education. Leonor is set to start studying for the International Baccalaureate at the UWC Atlantic College in Wales within weeks.
The poll also asked whether the princess should go to university with 95% saying yes.
This annual survey also looks at how popular each member of Spain’s Royal Family is, coming up with an approval rating out of ten for them. King Felipe leads this year’s poll with a ranking of 6.8, just ahead of his mother, Queen Sofia, who is on 6.6. Princess Leonor is rated the third most popular member of the family on 6.4. Her mother, Queen Letizia, is fourth on 5.9 while King Juan Carlos is the least popular member, with a rating of 4.3.
The poll comes at the end of a turbulent twelve months for Spain’s royals which has seen Juan Carlos go into voluntary exile following intense pressure on him over allegations of financial impropriety.
There was a special focus in this survey on the public role of Princess Leonor who took on her first solo engagement this year. The heir to the throne, who turns 17 in October, was said to have a positive or very positive impact by 60% of those polled.
The Spanish Royal Family is currently away from the public spotlight as they enjoy a private holiday.
