Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, has begun a months-long tour of the world in the Armanda training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia — along with numerous well-wishers on land and sea — gave the princess a teary goodbye.

Princess Leonor already made a stop in Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of Africa after departing from the Port of Cadiz. It’s a similar route taken by Spanish explorers hundreds of years ago.

The Elcano will travel around Latin America and the Caribbean and end up in New York City later this year.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia launched their 2025 agenda with the traditional Pascua Militar at the Royal Palace in Madrid on January 6th. The vibes were starkly different from last year.

In January of 2024, Their Majesties were dealing with accusations by her former brother-in-law of infidelity by the Queen. This year things appeared to have stabilized.

The King and Queen days later held a reception with the diplomatic corps.

King Felipe focused on immigration and economic issues during his traditional Christmas Eve address last month.

His Majesty spoke from the Hall of Columns in the Madrid Royal Palace, one of the most important rooms in the country.

Don Felipe focused on the storm that caused severe damage in Valencia, the housing crisis and trying to tackle illegal immigration with compassion but also with a plan.

The monarch said uncontrolled immigration has shown to hurt social cohesion. Indeed, national unity and unified action have been themes of his Christmas Eve remarks for years.

This was the second Christmas Eve speech at the Madrid Royal Palace of King Felipe’s reign. His appearance from the Hall of Columns helped mark his 10th anniversary on the throne. Usually, he appears at Zarzuela Palace — where the king actually lives — outside of central Madrid.