Queen Máxima and Queen Letizia celebrate when their daughters both graduate from UWC Atlantic College
UWC Atlantic College in Wales is no stranger to royalty – but this year they’ve counted not one, but two royal graduates.
Both the royal families of Spain and the Netherlands celebrated the graduation of Princess Leonor and Princess Alexia, both 17 years old, this weekend.
Founded by German educator Kurt Hahn, the school is located in the 12th-century St. Donat Castle on the country’s south coast.
With school fees for a two-year course costing a whopping £67,000, courses include Tai Chi, the theory of knowledge and Tibetan literature.
Queen Máxima, 52, and King Willem-Alexander, 56, traveled to the prestigious school in South Wales and beamed as they posed for a photo with their second daughter.
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 17, posed with her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Mazima, during the Leavers celebration
King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia all made the trip from Spain to congratulate Princess Leonor, 17, who is the heir apparent as she has just completed her education at UWC Atlantic
For her big day, Princess Alexia opted for a chic white linen suit that she paired with a pair of burnt orange high heels.
Meanwhile, proud mother Máxima shone in a brown ombre silk dress with a pleated skirt, which she paired with a brown blazer and suede heels.
What’s more, King Felipe VI, 55, Queen Letizia, 50, and Princess Sofia, 16, all made the trip from Spain to congratulate Leonor, who is the heir to the throne.
One photo showed Leonor proudly displaying her graduation certificate.
The newly graduated royal chose a bright pink jacket dress for the ceremony – with cut-outs in the sleeves.
Letizia looked effortlessly elegant in a white suit she paired with a silky blush pink top, while Felipe was smartly dressed in a black suit.
A lovely photo showed Sofia, wearing a powder blue dress, hugging her big sister tightly.
In another photo, the media savvy Letizia gives her best pout as the family poses for a selfie.
The Spanish royal family beamed and took a selfie to mark Leonor’s graduation
A selfie taken by Queen Letizia was shared by the royal family as the Queen, her two daughters and her husband beamed with pride
The images were shared by the Spanish royal court on Twitter to announce the graduation of the heir to the throne.
They captioned the post: “The King and Queen, the Princess of Asturias and the Infanta Sofía, following the graduation ceremony for the Princess of Asturias at UWC Atlantic College of Wales, the educational institution where she completed her International Baccalaureate studies. ‘
A post on social media shared on the social media of the Dutch royal family on the occasion: ‘Princess Alexia took the International Baccalaureate exams at the United World College of the Atlantic.
‘Today the school closes the exam period with the traditional Leavers Celebration. The results of the exams are expected at the beginning of July.’
While the royal couples didn’t post photos together, it’s likely they shrugged at the event — they’ve met on several state occasions in the past.
Queen Letizia and Queen Maxima have met several times over the years – including when they traveled to the UK for the Order of the Garter Service in Windsor in 2019
Although Alexia’s future studies are not yet known, Princess Leonor will begin her military training before the end of summer in August.
While many of her peers are going to university, the eldest daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia returns to Spain to start training.
Tatler reported that earlier this week, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed Princess Leonor of Asturias’ next move.
The training includes stints in the Armed Forces, Spanish Navy and Air Force.
In her speech in March, Ms. Robles affirmed: “In due course, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces will be a woman, and in recent years we have made a very significant effort to include women in the Armed Forces.”
The princess will begin her training at the Army Military Academy in Zaragoza before entering naval school, and will complete her three years at the General Air Academy.
In September last year, the Spanish palace announced that Princess Leonor will study law at university after three years of military training.
Although Leonor’s college choice is unknown, the princess’s academic background already resembles that of her father, King Felipe.
After graduating from high school at Lakefield College in Canada, Felipe returned to Spain and entered the General Military Academy of Zaragozo, continuing his studies at the Naval Military School in Marín.
He ended his training with a stint at the General Air Academy in San Javier.
He also completed his military education with a stint in the shop Juan Sebastián Elcano, aged 18 in 1987, and went on to study law at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Currently, Leonor, who is said to speak four languages, including Mandarin, is juggling her life as a young princess with her work as a student at the boarding school in Wales, dubbed “Hippie Hogwarts,” thanks to its forward-thinking approach to education and picturesque castle setting.
Past students at the school include Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, Princess Raiyah bint Hussein of Jordan and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.