Princess of Asturias Awards Honor Visionaries Championing Hope and Perseverance

Patti Smith launched the ceremony with a poignant line from her spoken-word work: “And they saw nothing / No future at all / Yet I was free”. The words, echoed as “They saw nothing, no future at all, but I was free”, resonated through the Campoamor Theatre, establishing the night’s theme of freedom amidst uncertainty.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Patti Smith delivered a performance of “Wing,” the spoken-word piece that launched her artistic career, capturing the spirit of the 46th Princess of Asturias Awards at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo. Through the piece, she playfully challenged the idea that humans can thrive in isolation while steadfastly championing personal freedom.

Other laureates echoed the theme of balancing collective responsibility with individuality, a sentiment resonating as humanity enters the second quarter of the century. The sentiment was particularly palpable in Oviedo, where audience enthusiasm reflected a shared commitment to unity.

The Princess of Asturias Foundation president opened the ceremony by quoting Meryl Streep, a laureate celebrated for her enthusiastic reception amid Asturian pipers. The moment was framed as “the echo of the voices of many of our heroes from the 20th century and this young century of ours.”

Christina Koch delivered a speech challenging stereotypes about engineers, instantly connecting with the audience with the anecdote: “The first time I came to Spain, I wept openly in the middle of the street.” Her selection as recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord was a call for unity, describing humanity as “a species capable of coming together,” bound by “the search for affection.”

British historian Timothy Garton Ash, raised in a household supportive of Brexit, drew spontaneous applause when he twice affirmed Britain as an inseparable part of the Old Continent.

Garton Ash also made a forceful defence of the freedoms earned through academia, journalism, and the law, explicitly referencing the International Criminal Court. His mention came amid fierce attacks on the court by the Trump administration and sanctions imposed on its judges by the United States.

Princess Letizia praised Literature laureate Julian Barnes, noting, “No AI will ever be able to replicate the emotion stirred by your work.” Barnes opened the speech series with a reference to Spanish master Velázquez, observing, “When you look at Velázquez you realise that everything has already been said.” Rosalía later summed it up simply: “It’s all been invented.”

An appraisal of democracy by the monarch

The King also addressed the upcoming Spanish general elections, observing, “In a mature society like ours, the practice of democracy also takes time. It is not exhausted in a single election, like the one we will soon experience, when citizens will once again bear the very great responsibility of defining the political direction of our country.”

Felipe VI sent a clear message to citizens and their representatives: “Democracy requires daily commitment, civic and demanding, and care for its forms and institutions, so that we can continue to guarantee our coexistence and foster the search for the common good, balancing the legitimate interests of all citizens.”

Towards the ceremony’s close, Princess Letizia quoted a moving line from Studio Ghibli president Kenichi Yoda, who, referencing Paul Valéry, passionately proclaimed, “The wind rises, we must try to live!” Both the laureates and the heiress appear aligned on the spirit of the era ahead and how best to face it.

Source link