The King and Queen of Spain, Felipe and Letizia, together with their daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, presided over the ceremony for the 2025 Princess of Girona Awards.
After the awards were presented, it was Leonor’s turn to give a speech in which she combined, as she does every year, Catalan and Spanish.
The princess addressed the entire audience—almost 1,800 guests—present at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, highlighting the work of the award winners in their various categories.
Princess Leonor’s Full Speech at the Princess of Girona Awards
President, mayor, councilors, authorities, friends, and colleagues who have chosen to share this gathering today: thank you for your presence, for making it possible for us to be united today in this Gran Teatre del Liceu. I must admit that I am humbled to be here, in this “sanctuary of the arts,” as we can read on one of the walls of the Hall of Mirrors. This theater is a symbol and identity of Barcelona, Mendoza’s city of wonders, which I am getting to know through summer lectures to welcome the illustrious Catalan Eduardo Mendoza to Oviedo.
A few weeks ago, Dvorák’s opera Rusalka was performed here, and I was watching some images of the stage just as the curtain fell. All those who had just participated in the performance, no longer under the gaze of the audience, embraced each other enthusiastically, moved by the collective emotion and effort after offering the excellence of art, in this case expressed in an opera. That is the ENTHUSIASM I see in the lives and work of our award winners, the impressive energy of six women and men whom we have just heard from.
Manuel, an architect who dares to think differently, enthusiastic because, although he assumes that we live in constant crisis and uncertainty, this is the best time to be young and combine architecture and sustainability.
Valentina, a Colombian entrepreneur who faced many rejections but did not lose her enthusiasm for ensuring that vulnerable women have access to preventive healthcare thanks to her device for the early detection of breast cancer.
Andreu, the engineer who came to think, believe it or not, that he was stupid and transformed his frustration into enthusiastic energy to create a math learning system that helps thousands of students around the world.
Toni, another engineer whose eyes light up when he talks about energy transition and who infects us with his enthusiasm for the challenge of large-scale renewable energy storage.
Gabriela, a neuroscientist who is passionate about one conviction: that everyone deserves decent healthcare. And that’s why she created a platform that helps millions of Guatemalans.
And Pablo, who refuses to accept that premature babies in many parts of the world are not guaranteed the basic conditions they need to thrive. As an engineer, he decided that a life of service to others was what fulfilled him. His enthusiasm when explaining how his low-cost incubators work is impressive.
You tackle the complexity of the world and transform it into clear, accessible, and effective solutions. You anticipate challenges and work for the long term in a world where everything is urgent. You have chosen the difficult path, that of commitment, purpose, and awareness of what is right and what needs to be done.
I thank you for inspiring us with your determination and patience to move forward and persevere, and for putting so much talent at the service of society. I also thank the patrons for their support so that the Princess of Girona Foundation, with the work of its entire great team, can be an accomplice and promoter of the way our award winners see the world: a vision that does not seek shortcuts and is often built in silence and with conviction, with the ethics of a job well done and the pursuit of the common good, with enthusiasm for improving people’s lives. Thank you.
La Princesa de Asturias y de Girona a los galardonados con los #PremiosPrincesaDeGirona 2025
🗨️ Los seis habéis elegido el camino difícil, el del compromiso, el propósito, la consciencia de lo que está bien, de lo que hay que hacer. pic.twitter.com/Q9ye891slB
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) July 23, 2025