The Princess of Girona spoke from the Liceu, praised the awardees, and said that she reads Eduardo Mendoza
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For the first time, the majestic Gran Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona served as the venue for the Princess of Girona Awards ceremony, an event that brought together a larger audience than in previous editions.
The ceremony was presided over by King Felipe and Letizia, accompanied by their daughters,Princess Leonor andInfanta Sofía.The gala was hosted by journalists Agnès Marquès and Georgina Arnau and featured artistic moments such as a performance by pianist Alba Ventura, who was awarded in 2010.
Leonor's speech and her nod to Catalan culture
Leonor starred in one of the most anticipated moments of the evening by delivering her sixth speech as Princess of Girona. She took the stage alone after the king and Infanta Sofía presented the awards.
"I must admit that being here, in this sanctuary of the arts, is daunting," she began in Catalan, capturing the audience's attention from the very first sentence. She also revealed, in the same language, that during her vacation she was reading The City of Marvels, the iconic novel by Eduardo Mendoza.
The choice of reading was not accidental. The Barcelona-born author will soon receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, an award that Leonor herself will present in Oviedo.
El rey Felipe y su hija Leonor, la futura reina de España.
Youth awarded for their social and professional impact
As every year, the Princess of Girona Foundation Awards recognized the talent, effort, and commitment of young people who inspire their generation and society as a whole.
During her speech, the princess reviewed the careers of the six awardees of the year. The list included:
Pablo Sánchez, social entrepreneur (Social category)
Manuel Bouzas, architect (Arts)
Andreu Dotti, entrepreneurial educator (Business)
Antoni Forner, engineer (Research)
Valentina Agudelo, health entrepreneur (International Business)
Gabriela Asturias, Guatemalan scientist (International Research)
La princesa Leonor en las primeras filas de los Premios Princesa Girona.
"All six of you have chosen the difficult path, that of commitment, purpose, and awareness of what is right, of what must be done," Leonor concluded, always in Catalan, with a clear intention to connect with the local audience.
King Felipe VI also had his highlight when he improvised a few more relaxed words. He emotionally recalled the famous goal by Andrés Iniesta in the 2010 World Cup final and humorously exclaimed: "Iniesta of my life," evoking the phrase popularized during that historic broadcast.
The evening left a strong institutional and cultural mark, consolidating Leonor as an increasingly solid and approachable figure on the Spanish public stage.
