Princess Leonor has been placed firmly at the heart of Spain’s royal public image once again.

A brand new official portrait of the future queen has been released by the royals along with an image of her younger sister, Infanta Sofia.

Both official photos were taken on the day that Leonor, heir to the throne, came of age and swore allegiance to the country’s constitution.

They have been shared just days after the royal family’s official Christmas card was released.

However, the photos also come as the family ends another turbulent week. Queen Letizia’s former brother in law, Jaime del Burgo, has claimed he had a relationship with her before her wedding to King Felipe and again after their marriage. He in turn would wed Letizia’s sister, Telma, although that marriage is now over. The Royal Household has made no comment on the allegations.

Princess Leonor has had an increasingly high profile in her royal family in the past months. Since graduating from college in Wales in the summer, she has taken on a number of engagements before starting military training. She is currently on an accelerated training programme with the Spanish Army and in the autumn, she swore allegiance to the country’s flag before taking part in Spain’s National Day parade in uniform for the first time.

Her appearance in the Spanish parliament to swear allegiance to the constitution led to a prolonged standing ovation while her journey through Madrid with her sister, Sofia, at her side saw her greeted by cheering crowds.

The year has been another difficult one for Spain’s royals with King Felipe also under pressure after negotiations following the country’s general elections led to the formation of a coalition led by Pedro Sanchez which has drawn sharp criticism.