Spain's royal family attends Armed Forces Day parade in Vigo with Princess Leonor

On 30 May 2026, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and their elder daughter Princess Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, presided over the parade marking Spain's Armed Forces Day (Día de las Fuerzas Armadas, DIFAS) in Vigo, in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia. On arrival they were received by the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda Valenzuela, Defence Minister Margarita Robles, the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, and the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Teodoro Esteban López Calderón.

The ceremony included a tribute to those who died for Spain, with the King and Princess Leonor laying a laurel wreath, a rifle salute by the 'Plus Ultra' squadron of the Royal Guard, and a parade reported to feature 129 vehicles from various military and emergency services. The appearance was notable for placing the future queen at a flagship national-defence event during the same period as her advanced military training, reinforcing the dynastic theme of preparing Leonor for her constitutional role as supreme commander of the armed forces.

The event is an annual fixture rotating among Spanish cities; holding it in Vigo gave the Galician region a prominent showcase, with senior regional and military officials in attendance.