Princess Leonor receives new title ahead of ceremony – details

Princess Leonor is already known as the Princess of Asturias, however, the heir to the Spanish throne received a new title on Friday.  As she joined her family for the annual Princess of Asturias Awards on Friday, which was held in Oviedo, the Spanish royal was named as the honorary mayor of Oviedo. The royal was given the honour due to “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”.

Ahead of hosting the awards, Leonor was gifted with the baton and insignia given to an honorary mayor and signed the golden book. Her father, King Felipe, previously held the title back when he was the Prince of Asturias.  Leonor already holds a variety of titles and is also known as the Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera, and the Lady of Balaguer.

Speaking of receiving the honour, Leonor said: “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.”

Ahead of the awards ceremony, the 18-year-old said: “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.  “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.”

She concluded: “I visited beautiful beaches, I saw incredible mountains, valleys and towns, I became fond of sea urchins, which my sister looked at with surprise… We have both been very happy here.”  The royal stunned in a grey blazer for the special awards ceremony, which recognises achievements in the fields of art, sciences and social issues.  Leonor was joined by her family, Felipe, Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofia. The royal’s parents looked smart in their black outfits, while Sofia looked incredibly glamorous in a sparkly gold number.