Princess Leonor loses Golden Fleece in National Day tie mishap
Spain's Princess Leonor dropped her highest honour in front of the crowds on Monday, 12 October 2026.
The small gold insignia slipped from her tie and fell to the ground during Spain's National Day celebrations in Madrid. She kept her cool.
Leonor, Princess of Asturias, is 20 years old and heir to the Spanish throne. She is the daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, according to Hello! Magazine.
The fallen piece was her Order of the Golden Fleece. That order — a historic chivalric order — is the highest decoration given by the Spanish Royal Household.
What makes this stand out is what happened next. Leonor asked her father for permission to pick it up, as protocol requires. Once inside the royal box, the King helped her pin it back on and straighten her tie.
Her father presented the Golden Fleece to her in 2018, when she was 12. She wore it on Monday with a khaki army uniform, dressed as a second lieutenant, the junior officer rank she holds after training.
Her tunic carried a full row of other honours. They included the insignia of the Order of Charles III, another senior Spanish order, plus the Grand Crosses of Military Merit, Naval Merit and Aeronautical Merit, all with white distinction.
The King wore the full dress uniform of the Air Force for the parade. Father and daughter later laid a laurel wreath by the standard in memory of those who died in service.
Monday was a return of sorts for Leonor. It was her first National Day parade since finishing military training and starting university. She is now studying political science at Carlos III University of Madrid.
Queen Letizia watched with Leonor's younger sister, Infanta Sofía, 19. The family presided together over the tribute to the National Flag and the military parade at Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo in Madrid, as listed by Casa Real.
After the parade, the King and Queen were due to host the traditional National Day reception at the Royal Palace of Madrid. For fans, this was a small human moment in a very formal day — a slipped knot, a quick ask, and a father helping with the tie.
