London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 26, 2026

Spanish princess Leonor graduates from UWC Atlantic College in Wales

Spanish princess Leonor graduates from UWC Atlantic College in Wales

The kings of Spain and the Netherlands have visited Wales to attend their daughters' graduation ceremony.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, with their daughter Infanta Sofía.

Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, began her £67,000 two-year course at the boarding school in 2021.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands attended to see Princess Alexia graduate.

Atlantic College has around 4,500 students and has a history of attracting overseas royals.

Spain's Princess Leonor de Borbon, 17, is the eldest of the royal couple's two daughters.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (R) sat next to King Felipe VI of Spain at the ceremony on Saturday


The Spanish royal couple personally paid for the tuition fees and their daughter applied for a place through the United World Colleges' (UWC) Spanish committee.

The Dutch royal house posted a picture of the king and queen with Princess Alexia, also 17, with her graduation certificate outside the college.

Executive director of UWC International, Jens Waltermann, previously said the heir to the Spanish throne was 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".

King Willem-Alexander also studied at Atlantic College, where he gained an International Baccalaureate in 1985


What is Atlantic College?


Atlantic College is a residential sixth form college for 15 to 19 year olds.

The college also teaches the International Baccalaureate combined with co-curricular community service activities to around 350 of its students.

Founded in 1962, the estate near Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan includes the 12th Century St Donat's Castle and was once the former home of American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Atlantic College is located at St Donat's Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan


Queen Noor of Jordan is college president and one of her daughters graduated from the institution.

The college has also welcomed famous visitors in the past, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the former Prince of Wales and the Emperor of Japan.

In 2013, the college once again gained the world's attention when two Pakistani teenagers shot by the Taliban while travelling with their friend Malala Yousafzai - now a Nobel Prize laureate - were given scholarships to study there.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
UK Care Workers May Receive Immigration Exemptions Under Proposed Visa Changes
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Begins Emergency Talks to Address NHS Staffing Shortages
UK Banks Launch High-Interest Savings Offers to Attract Household Deposits
North Sea Oil Drilling Projects Face Delays After Offshore Equipment Accident
Cairngorms Wildfire Highlights Growing Pressure on UK Emergency Services
UK Government Borrowing Plans Put Pressure on Ten-Year Gilt Markets
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Returns After NATO Northern Flank Mission
Metropolitan Police Opens Criminal Investigation Into Reform UK Political Donations
Scottish Government Requests Military Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Forces Emergency Response
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils New Cabinet Team
War, Youth Revolt and the Global Struggle for Control
War, Power and the Rising Price of Political Decisions
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
×