Princess Leonor reflects on her childhood and what her great-grandmother told her and sister Sofia

Princess Leonor of Spain was out in Oviedo the day before the 2024 Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony. Queen Letizia and King Felipe's elder daughter received the Medal of Asturias at the University of Oviedo on Oct. 24. 

In remarks at the event, the Princess of Asturias spoke about her childhood and visits to Asturias when she was young. Leonor said (translated to English), "I must confess that I came to Asturias with my mother and father many times during my childhood. My Asturian family is very Asturian, you know what I mean, and from a very young age I was able to get to know the forests of the east and take long walks among those oak and chestnut trees that are already part of my childhood."

The Princess went on to recall what one of her great-grandmothers, said to be Menchu Álvarez del Valle—per HOLA! Spain—shared with her and her younger sister, Infanta Sofia. "Our great-grandmother told Sofia and me what Asturias was like where she lived and raised her family. We really enjoyed her stories on the radio from that time. I visited beautiful beaches, I saw incredible mountains, valleys and towns, I became fond of sea urchins, which my sister looked at with surprise," Leonor remembered. "We have both been very happy here. And we are happy every year when we come to promote the values promoted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation."

She continued, "That is why I feel so grateful today and why this autumn morning is so special for me. I sincerely thank the government of the Principality of Asturias for granting me the Medal of the Principality and the city of Oviedo for the title of Honorary Mayor. I accept it with respect and with the certainty that, as my father felt almost 40 years ago, they mean something very important: the commitment that I have made, which guides me and will always guide me, to be worthy of these recognitions."

Leonor declared in her speech that she carries Asturias in her heart. She concluded, "And it will always be the beloved homeland that the anthem says, the land that gives its name to the title that designates me as Princess and, therefore, servant of Spain, and the place of origin of my maternal family. I said it in my first speech in Oviedo, in 2019: I have Asturian blood. And that not only gives character: it is a pride and a joy. And that is why I wanted you, the Asturians, to be the protagonists of these words on this day of recognition and to feel them as the hug that I give you now as the one you gave me after my first speech."

Earlier in the day, the Princess, who turns 19 on Oct. 31, received the title of Honorary Mayor of Oviedo for "the special connection of the Royal House with Asturias and Oviedo, as well as Leonor's position as honorary president of the Princess of Asturias Foundation." Leonor's father, King Felipe, received the title 36 years ago. According to Casa de S.M. El Rey, the "appointment is like 'a tradition' in recognition of 'the family and institutional ties' of the Royal Family with the city."