Among the more than 4,000 speeches available on the Royal Household’s official website, there is one that has just been given a special place: the speech given by Princess Leonor at the 2021 Princess of Asturias Awards.
This is no minor gesture, because in that enormous collection of speeches, most of them are by King Felipe VI. And yet, Zarzuela wanted to highlight the words of an heiress who was only 15 years old at the time.
Leonor’s speech at the 2021 Princess of Asturias Awards
That day, at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, the princess surprised everyone with her thoughtful tone, with phrases that spoke of young people as protagonists of a future that is “more sustainable, more just, better for everyone.”
“…you project onto us, onto the youngest, the certainty that we also have a lot to contribute, that we can be important and show ourselves to be responsible in trying to think about a more sustainable, fairer, better future for everyone…”
Since her official debut in 2019, we have seen her at various events, but her speech in 2021 marked a turning point.
In a way, it signaled a change in public perception. She was no longer just the shy teenager accompanying her parents, but a princess capable of conveying maturity and commitment.
The fact that the Royal Household is now highlighting this speech is a message to present Leonor as the spokesperson for a generation that is asking to be heard.
Leonor’s full speech at the 2021 Princess of Asturias Awards
I am very happy to be back in Oviedo to celebrate the presentation of our awards. I have always seen my parents on this stage recognizing good work and the initiatives and ideas that improve societies. And that is why I believe that, once again this year, we must continue to remember that our award winners are an essential guide for all of us.
The interconnected world we live in allows us all to engage with the work of those who are receiving our awards today. And in my case, as a high school student, I think of all the young people who can do so and how much we can learn from you.
I congratulate you all and admire you.
To Gloria Steinem, for her committed defense of women’s rights; to Marina Abramović, for her extraordinary talent and for the emotion she evokes in her audience; to Camfed, for its essential work in educating so many women and girls who suffer discrimination or violence; to Amartya Sen, who devotes his intelligence to finding solutions to social inequalities; to Emmanuel Carrère, for allowing us to feel and helping us understand the world; to Teresa Perales, for her strength, determination, and perseverance; to the researchers of the COVID-19 vaccines, who have shown that science brings safety and progress; and to José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen, for feeding people in need.
Getting to know you—your work and your lives—has motivated me even more in my task of training and studying. You project onto us, onto the youngest among us, the certainty that we also have a lot to contribute, that we can be important and show ourselves to be responsible in trying to think of a more sustainable, fairer, better future for everyone. Studying and observing your work, dear award winners, excites me and fills me with strength to continue assuming my responsibilities and always working with the utmost commitment.
Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for us to be here today; thank you to those who support the Foundation and promote the idea that culture, science, and solidarity are essential to our life together.
I will soon return to my studies with the memory of a new awards ceremony that, once again, excites and moves us. And I will greatly miss this land, Asturias, which I love so much and where my sister Sofía and I always feel at home.
Thank you.