The Princess of Asturias has attended the opening of the Spanish parliament for the first time and sparked a debate about whether her choice of dress carries an important message.

Princess Leonor wore a green dress for the event at the Cortes where she listed to her father, King Felipe, give a speech.

The colour green has been seen as a sign of support for the monarchy for decades now. In Spanish, it is ‘verde’ which is taken to mean ”Viva el Rey de Espana’.

Wearing green was a symbol of backing the royals and the Spanish Monarchy which was restored under King Juan Carlos in 1975.

The princess, who turned 18 at the end of October and who can now reign in her own right if called upon, also wore the two medals presented to her when she swore her allegiance to the Spanish constitution on the day she came of age.

Leonor, who is currently in the middle of military training, joined her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, at the opening session which comes just days after Pedro Sanchez took his oath as Prime Minister at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

His PSOE party didn’t win the most seats in the elections and will govern as part of a coalition. The party with the most seats, the PP, also fell short of a majority but couldn’t form an alliance. The Spanish Royal House said King Felipe was obliged by the constitution to ask Pedro Sanchez to try and form a government when the PP failed. However, the following events have proved controversial and there have been protests in several Spanish cities.

Princess Leonor has become one of the most popular members of the Spanish Royal Family in recent times. She was given a sustained standing ovation when she swore her oath of allegiance to the constitution on October 31st 2023 while her pledge to the flag of Spain during her military training was also well received.