July 14, 2026: Princess Leonor's speech during the Princess of Girona Awards 2026
I cannot wait any longer: I have to confess it once and for all. I know that, in principle, it is not advisable for me to reveal certain aspects of my private life, of my personal tastes, but I believe the time has come for me to speak about my favorite influencers. About the people who influence me, who inspire me. They are not figures regarded as successful or famous or glamorous; they do not carry the official label of the aspirational, nor do they measure their worth by certain achievements posted on their social media.
What I like about my favorite influencers is that they:
— fall in love with problems with the intention of solving them;
— tell something important with talent, from darkness and from the gut;
— accompany their bold ideas with rigor, discipline, and critical thinking;
I will tell you right away who they are, although something tells me you may already suspect it. I think I am going to stop calling them influencers. From now on, they are officially, to me: “Natural Intelligences.” And that is even though some of them use AI — but they do so with head and heart. It is used, for example, by Mechi Bidart, who has invented a digital microfinancing platform where they say YES to those who have always been told NO. And that loan, which allows people to move forward and start a small business, welcomes those excluded from the conventional financial system, unlocks their dignity, and enables their growth.
I continue with my list of natural intelligences. Between Nador and Poble Sec there are nearly a thousand kilometers, some of them across the sea — which are called nautical miles. Hatim Azahri crossed them with his parents when he was two years old, and they settled on the slopes of Montjuïc. This other “boy from Poble Sec” was a teenager who wanted to play, move, talk with his friends, and exercise, as well as study. But there were no public courts or sports facilities. And that is how Joves Units del Poble Sec was born: an association that transforms powerlessness into organization and unease into connection and community.
And pay attention to these two astrophysicists, who do not only influence me; I listen to them carefully to see whether I can manage to understand Rafael Luque when he explains that his sub-Neptune exoplanet could harbor life because it appears to contain large amounts of water. Or when José Eduardo Méndez describes the characteristics of the cosmic dust in the Orion Nebula. These two brilliant scientists have seen things we would not believe, like the replicant in Blade Runner… but those moments will not be lost in time. On the contrary, their research allows us to advance our knowledge of the universe through the study of its physics and chemistry.
This global, elevated, almost philosophical gaze of the astrophysicists contrasts with the immensity and the abyss that Àlex felt that New Year’s Eve night. Àlex is the protagonist of La Fúria, the production for which Gemma Blasco has received major recognition, and in which sexual violence against women is portrayed and analyzed through a visceral, radical, and revealing narrative. And she does so without preaching, without judging, with a self-referential gaze, but with no trace of narcissism.
And my final natural intelligence is Patricia Aymà, who has launched a company that manufactures “good plastic” from organic waste. These are bioplastics that disappear without leaving a trace, are biocompatible with the human body, and are free of persistent microplastics. And she does this by working alongside industry, within the rules of the market, with packaging designed to protect our health.
And that concludes my six natural intelligences; that concludes my necessarily small, very brief account of the extraordinary lives and work of these six creators of thought and knowledge, rather than content, who influence me so deeply. From today onward, they become part of that great group of excellent people whom the Princess of Girona Foundation recognizes each year. A foundation that puts young talent into action and provides solutions for the full development of young people. This is possible, of course, thanks to a great team, to many allies and collaborators in all the cities of the Talent Tour, and to committed trustees who have seen transformative and useful results in many generations of young people who have taken part in the different programs.
Last week I accompanied my sister Sofía to Zaragoza, and there we listened to many teachers. That attentive listening helped me give even greater importance to what Hatim explains. He says it was two primary school teachers who encouraged him to continue studying. “I was lucky,” Hatim says, “that they saw my potential and not my background. And that saved me, because many of my friends dropped out.” I am one of those who believe that talent is discovered and cultivated, understood and cared for. And in that process, Hatim’s two teachers were discoverers of that talent… because, as my sister said, it is those good “teachers who protect the sacred time of learning” who allow us to understand the world and develop our own judgment. And from that understanding and that judgment, talent emerges.
From this Gran Teatre del Liceu, from this great stage, this foundation that I chair sends a clear message: protect young talent with the right support, exactly when it is needed.
Thank you to everyone who makes it possible.
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