Princess Leonor – the heir to the Spanish throne – is to study in Wales from this summer, it has been announced.

Leonor de Borbon, 15, the elder of two daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, will attend UWC Atlantic College, based at St Donat’s Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The princess, who turns 16 at the end of October, will begin her two-year course at the boarding school this summer.

She applied for a place at a UWC school through the Fundacion Comite Espanol de los Colegios del Mundo Unido (UWC Spain).

Princess Leonor went through the entire selection process, part of which is conducted anonymously, along with all other candidates.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will personally meet the cost of the £67,000 course, according to reports.

Jens Waltermann, executive director of UWC International, said: “We are delighted that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias will soon be part of the UWC global education movement, having been selected to study at UWC Atlantic in the UK.

“The Princess will join 4,500 other students from 155 countries, and from a diverse range of backgrounds, who will be studying at one of our 18 schools.

“It doesn’t matter where a student comes from to access a UWC education, with over 75% of all students receiving partial or full scholarships.

“What matters is their potential to contribute towards building a better and more just future for all.

“Now more than ever we need to educate global citizens who want to engage in discourse, whatever their background or beliefs.

“UWC’s mission is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and sustainability. We fulfil this mission by bringing together young people who would otherwise never meet.”

UWC Atlantic, which has 350 students aged from 15 to 19, was the organisation’s founding college and was established in 1962.

It is located in the 12th century St Donat’s Castle, which was once the home of American millionaire William Randolph Hearst and enjoys views of the Bristol Channel.

The castle grounds include a moat, battlements, dungeons and tiered gardens, as well as a witch named Mally-y-Nos.