You make reasonable points, but, from a broader perspective, why must an heir have any military training at all? As you said, it is not like they will ever lead an army as it used to be case in the past, and many presidents (for example in the USA), who are actual commanders in chief of the armed forces (as opposed to purely ceremonial CiCs as the European kings), have never been in the military themselves.A sector of the Spanish press copies a lot of its tabloid news style from the foreign yellow press that bashes royals and, in republics, government officials for the sake of someone buying the tabloid. Same if it's online, you check out the website curious about a headline and they get money from side ads.
It's normal they create the articles to establish fear in the future. Fear sells news. In this case related to Leonor and her training it's the 'look at who's going to rule over us' propaganda. With Leonor the tabloid press got a jackpot to exploit because she's both the heir and she is a woman.
For example, her royal male cousins that are also heirs like Prince William don't get the same type of attack, they focus of girlfriends because it's the macho virility mentality of those behind the tabloid articles. With Leonor the focus is on her ability to keep up with the guys in the armed services, and when she is not at their level exaggerate it even more for a good tabloid cover.
But here's the reality, neither Leonor nor her royal equivalent cousins in Europe are expected to lead armies like Napoleon, or command them for wars like Catherine the Great of Queen Boudica. She will be the head of state one day and expected to wear the uniform of each branch during events. She is doing an excellent job in her training, and I assume Princess Sofia will follow her steps when she reaches the same age for being the potential heir to Leonor until we get the next generation of royal children in Spain.
I understand that some monarchs like King Felipe VI or King Frederik X seem to have greatly enjoyed their life in the armed forces and place a high value on a military education. That doesn't mean, however, that their children have to follow the same path. And , before I may be misunderstood as sounding sexist, I think that is equally true for Leonor or Elisabeth as it is for Christian or another male heir like George for example in the future.
On the gender issue specifically, I don't think this particular report on Leonor's struggling at the Naval Academy is gender-motivated per se, but the fact , whether it is fair or not, is that the military has been traditionally a male institution and women who join the armed forces will most likely face extra scrutiny and have to "prove" that they are up to the required standards. That puts an extra layer of stress in what is already presumably a stressful environment (an elite military academy) and is yet another reason why it should not be taken for granted that Leonor would have to do it just because of who she is or who her father is.
Honestly I believe she wants to do it though and is up to the challenge. As Muhler said, based on his own valuable life experience in the military, if Leonor needs extra help, she will get it, but she will also have to put on the extra work and effort, which in the end is what is expected in the service.
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