Spanish and Dutch Monarchs Proudly Attend Daughters’ Graduation in Wales
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, accompanied by their daughter Infanta Sofía, were present at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, to celebrate the graduation of Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne. Simultaneously, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands attended the ceremony to witness Princess Alexia’s graduation.
Princess Leonor, 17, embarked on her two-year course at the prestigious boarding school in 2021, with her parents personally covering the £67,000 tuition fees. The Spanish royal couple sought a place for their daughter through the Spanish committee of the United World Colleges (UWC).
The Dutch royal house shared a photograph capturing the king and queen alongside Princess Alexia, also 17, proudly displaying her graduation certificate outside the college.
Atlantic College, renowned for its global reach, hosts approximately 4,500 students and has a history of attracting members of royal families from around the world. King Willem-Alexander himself is an alumnus of Atlantic College, having completed his International Baccalaureate studies there in 1985.
Jens Waltermann, the executive director of UWC International, expressed his delight at the Spanish heir to the throne joining “4,500 other students from 155 countries, and from a diverse range of backgrounds, who will be studying at one of our 18 schools.”
Atlantic College serves as a residential sixth form institution for students aged 15 to 19. The college’s educational approach combines the International Baccalaureate curriculum with community service activities, fostering a well-rounded development for approximately 350 students. Notably, Queen Noor of Jordan, the college’s president, has a daughter who also graduated from this esteemed institution.
Over the years, Atlantic College has welcomed illustrious guests, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the former Prince of Wales, and the Emperor of Japan. The college gained international attention in 2013 when two Pakistani teenagers, who had survived an attack by the Taliban along with their friend Malala Yousafzai (now a Nobel Prize laureate), were granted scholarships to study at the college.
