King Felipe VI – the 40th Military anniversary

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia attended the General Military Academy in Zaragoza to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the King´s promotion in the Army.

On May 4, the General Military Academy of Zaragoza displayed the military flag, uniting the Royal Family and the nation´s Army to honour the Spanish nation.

King Felipe first swore before the flag when he entered the Military Academy in 1985, and for the second time in 2010, when he was still the Prince of Asturias. Now, he proved his devotion and loyalty to the country for the third time.

The King was received with a 21 cannon salute at 11:30am, after military honours and reunited with the 200 men who trained beside him. One notable absence in the ceremony, included the deceased Jose Manual Judez Alejandre, Colonel of Engineers, whom his widows and children represented, swearing by the flag to the sound of supportive applause.

 “There are places that remain in the heart, where great things were done. This academy, this patio, is one of them,” stated Lieutenant General Marcos Izquierdo in his speech. “Here, we did something great, we committed ourselves to Spain.” 

Alongside the army trainees of his past, the King met the 800 cadets currently training the General Military Academy, amongst whom was his daughter, Princess Leonor, part of the XXII company of the second course.

Surrounded by his family and Army, King Felipe VI swore his oath to the flag which more than 30,500 have sworn by in the past, marking his commitment to the values of the Spanish Nation.