Overview
- Queen Sofia visited Madrid’s Naval Museum on Wednesday to view an exhibition on the Spanish flag’s 240-year naval history and chose a maritime-themed brooch for the occasion.
- Jewelry specialist David Rato identified enamel flags in the brooch that decode to “Elcano,” referencing the Spanish Navy’s training ship associated with Princess Leonor.
- The brooch is crafted in yellow gold with diamonds, formed as a bowline knot with diamond-tipped tassels and a diamond letter “S.”
- Princess Leonor completed the naval phase of her three-year military training last summer with a five-month voyage on the Juan Sebastián de Elcano and an additional month on the frigate Blas de Lezo, and she is now at the Air Force Academy in San Javier.
- Sofia’s appearance marks a measured return to public duties following the death of her sister, Princess Irene, with Leonor previously seen supporting her grandmother at the January funeral.