King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Princess Leonor presided over the military parade on the occasion of Spain’s National Day. 

Under heavy rain, the three royals arrived in Neptune Square in the morning of Saturday, 12th October, where they were welcomed by State and local authorities.

Queen Letizia was the only one holding an umbrella, with both King Felipe and Princess Leonor standing to attention under the rain while Spain’s national anthem was played. 

After King Felipe reviewed the troops, the royals took place in their designated seats, while the Civil Guard, one of the four branches of the Spanish Armed Forces, went into formation for the most poignant part of the event.

Following the raising of the Spanish flag, everyone present paid homage to those who gave their lives for the country, with a special mention of Lieutenant Colonel Pablo Estrada Martin, belonging to the Air and Space Force, who passed away only a week ago during a training flight in his F18. 

The causes of the accident are yet unknown, but it was made public that he was one of the Air Force’s most experienced fighter pilots, with more than 2000 flight hours, 970 of which at the helm of an F18. The 49 year old left behind a wife and four children. 

His memory was honoured with a historic moment taking place right after: for the first time ever, Princess Leonor accompanied her father as he laid a laurel wreath at the feet of the flagpole to pay his respect to those who gave their life for the country. 

It was then time for the parade, which began with historic units, followed by modern ones, specialised units, and foreign units working with Spanish Forces in specific missions. 

Sadly, at several points during the parade, the rain made it difficult to see much further that one’s own feet, and therefore it was out of question to have the traditional flight past. 

Another element of the parade that was cancelled was the parachute display of the Spanish flag, a relatively new element that has quickly become a crowd favourite. 

As the terrestrial display was concluded by historical equipment, King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Princess Leonor quickly said goodbye to authorities, and jumped in their car to travel to the Royal Palace, where they held the traditional reception. 

Like every year, members of the government and other institutions were first in a line that also saw well-known faces of the civil society, including journalists, fashion designers, authors, personalities of the world of sports, business people and many, many more. 

And just like last year, Princess Leonor was especially happy to see some familiar faces, as several of her military companions in the Naval Academy in Marín were standing in the line to shake the Royals’ hands. 

In a National Day marked by the intense rain, there was also a notable absence: for the second year in a row, Infanta Sofía missed the celebrations. She is in Wales, undertaking the second of two years at UWC Atlantic, where her sister also concluded her high school journey.