The Princess of Asturias, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz, received the Gold Medal of the Region of Murcia, the highest honour awarded by the region. The Princess was welcomed on the morning of Wednesday, June 3, at a ceremony held in the Church of San Esteban, in the coastal city of Cartagena.

Princess Leonor of Asturias, the ‘Adoptive Daughter of San Javier’

In addition to this high honour, the Princess was also named the “Adoptive Daughter of San Javier,” the town near the Mar Menor where she received a municipal gold medal and where she carried out a large part of her training.

Princess Leonor references famed Cartagena rock band during her speech

During her speech, the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne made a reference to local Cartagena band Arde Bogotá: “Like a cowboy on the A-3, I will miss that route I have traveled so many times on my way to the sea,” she said, echoing the lyrics to one of their songs. She also mentioned that on that day, she “symbolically” bid farewell to the Region of Murcia.

“Although I still have a month left at the General Air and Space Academy, today I symbolically close a chapter that has been essential for me,” the Princess said during her acceptance speech. Princess Leonor affirmed that during her time at the General Air and Space Academy, located in the municipality of San Javier, she shared “more than just classes, flights, and maneuvers” with her peers at the academy.

Expressing deep gratitude for the Costa Calida municipality of San Javier

The Princess expressed deep appreciation for the municipality of San Javier, stating that it had “enhanced and broadened my understanding of camaraderie, because to fly in formation one must be very aware of the importance of having complete confidence in one’s own abilities and those of one’s wingman.”

The first of the Royal Family to mark these milestones

The Princess had recently completed a major milestone, a parachuting course, and had become the first of her family to do so.

Her parachuting course, however, was not her only milestone achieved recently. At the awarding ceremony, the Princess of Asturias also signed the Golden Book of the Region of Murcia, becoming the first member of the Royal Family to do so.

To close out her speech, the Princess thanked the people of Murcia “for opening the doors of this land to me and for teaching me so much.”

This July, the Princess will have completed her three years of military training. After officially completing her training, she is due to study Political Science at the Getafe campus of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

A wildfire affecting the village of Los Garres y Lages has forced the precautionary evacuation of around 100 homes and prompted the deployment of Spain’s military emergency unit, the UME. It is among the first significant wildfire incidents of the 2026 season, emerging unusually early amid rising temperatures in south-eastern Spain.

The fire broke out on this afternoon Tuesday 2 around 03:10pm in a mountainous area near the El Valle-Carrascoy regional park, rapidly spreading through dry vegetation and agricultural land. Emergency services in the Region of Murcia escalated the situation to Level 2 of the regional wildfire response plan, allowing the request for national military support.

Large-scale emergency response activated

According to regional emergency coordination updates, more than 200 to 300 personnel have been deployed to the scene, including firefighters, forest fire brigades, environmental agents, Guardia Civil units and Policia Local. Air support has also been mobilised, with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft carrying out repeated water drops in an effort to slow the advance of the flames. The regional government formally requested the intervention of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME), with units being mobilised from bases in eastern Spain to reinforce containment efforts.

Additional aerial resources, including hydroplanes and coordination aircraft from central government services, have also been dispatched to support operations on the ground. Authorities have confirmed that around 100 homes have been evacuated as a precaution, with residents moved away from the fire perimeter due to concerns over the speed of the fire’s spread and changing wind conditions. Several local roads were closed, and access to hillside areas restricted to emergency services only.

Conditions worsening spread and complexity

Officials have pointed to a combination of factors that have intensified the fire risk, including prolonged dry vegetation, high temperatures nearing 40°C in parts of the Region of Murcia, and gusty winds in exposed hillside areas. The fire has affected areas containing abandoned citrus terraces and scrubland, which provided highly flammable fuel.

Emergency coordinators also reported more than 200 initial emergency calls to the regional 112 service within a short period, reflecting how quickly the fire became visible and widespread across nearby residential zones.

Ante la gravedad del incendio forestal que afecta a la pedanía murciana de Los Garres, desde el Ayuntamiento de Lorca se ha ofrecido a la dirección del Plan Infomur y al Ayuntamiento de Murcia la disponibilidad inmediata de una unidad de extinción forestal compuesta por 9… pic.twitter.com/vSfeJu4WAt

— Serv. Emergencias y Protección Civil de Lorca (@112Lorca) June 2, 2026

No confirmed casualties, but concern remains

At the time of the latest updates, no fatalities or serious injuries had been reported. However, authorities have warned that the situation remains unstable, with fire crews continuing containment efforts into the night and monitoring the fire perimeter to prevent further spread towards residential areas.

Temporary facilities have been set up for displaced residents, while local authorities have suspended access to nearby public facilities and recreational areas as a precaution.

Investigation into the cause underway

The origin of the wildfire has not yet been confirmed and remains under investigation. Officials have not ruled out natural or human causes, but stress that determining the source will only be possible once the fire is fully stabilised.

The incident has drawn attention due to its timing at the very start of the wildfire season, with authorities warning that early-season fires can be particularly difficult to control due to rapidly changing weather conditions and dry ground cover.

Overnight operations and local impact

As night fall, emergency crews are shifting focus towards stabilising the most active sections of the perimeter, where reduced visibility and shifting winds make aerial support more limited. Ground teams continued to create containment lines in an effort to prevent the fire from advancing towards residential zones on the outskirts of the affected pedanías.

Meteorological monitoring has been increased in the area, with officials tracking wind direction and humidity levels closely to anticipate any sudden changes that could accelerate the fire’s spread. Residents in nearby settlements were advised to remain alert and keep access routes clear for emergency vehicles.

The blaze has also affected local agricultural land, particularly abandoned orchards and scrub-covered terraces, contributing to smoke plumes visible across surrounding districts of Murcia. While air quality impacts have not yet been formally quantified, residents in nearby areas reported a noticeable smell of smoke and haze during the afternoon and evening. For now, emergency services continue to prioritise containment and the protection of homes, with operations expected to continue through the night and into the following day depending on fire behaviour and weather conditions.

Princess Leonor of Asturias has officially completed her parachuting course, taking place at the Alcantarilla air base in Murcia, as part of her military training at the General Air and Space Academy. The heir presumptive to the Spanish throne completed the course, called the Basic Parachuting Course, at the Méndez Parada Military Parachuting School, alongside about fifty of her peers from the academy.

Princess Leonor of Asturias, the first royal to receive parachute training

During this course, the princess learned to perform automatic mode parachute jumps, which are common among different units with parachuting capability of the Air and Space Army, the Army, the Navy, and the Guardia Civil. Leonor is the first member of the royal family to have trained for this exercise, as neither her father nor grandfather did so during their time at the academies.

As a distinction for passing the course, Princess Leonor, along with the rest of her classmates, received the accreditation diploma and a parachutist badge. The Royal Household also released photos of the princess taking her first parachuting jumps, typically made at a height of around 400 metres, and which included one that was carried out at night.

Leonor to complete her final year of military training this July

Leonor, the daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, is currently in the process of completing her third and final year of military training. She will officially finish her training in July. To carry out her training, she has attended the General Military Academy, the Naval Military School, and the General Air and Space Academy.

After her military training is officially completed, the princess will begin her Political Science degree next September at the Getafe campus of the Carlos III University of Madrid.

Princess Leonor is also due to receive the Region of Murcia’s highest distinction, the Gold Medal of the Region of Murcia, this week.