The final day of the Princesa de Asturias Awards programming has a collective protagonist: the town chosen as Pueblo Ejemplar that, each year, gives its best to receive the traditional visit of the royal family. This year, the chosen were the 1500 residents of Valdesoto, a community extraordinary for its commitment to keeping old traditions alive. Among them, the representation of the ‘Sidros’ and ‘les Comedies’, a type of rustic theater in the sainete style.
This year, the visit by the Kings and their daughters, Leonor and Sofía, did not provide much room for contemplation, as the residents of Valdesoto prepared the royal family a tour of almost three hours in which there was no shortage of anything: there were bolos, sidra, bueyes, collector’s cars, regional dances, crafts, painting… The work of the thirty neighborhood associations that work to preserve their heritage, boost cultural activity and protect the surrounding environment was evident.
In the face of such a feast of curiosities from yesteryear, Queen Letizia rolled up her sleeves to ask questions. We also saw a Princess Leonor who, for the first time, dared to lead the walk through Valdesoto, taking the lead in interactions and greetings. Will next year see only the heir and her sister, the Infanta Sofía, celebrate the new Pueblo Ejemplar?
Let us underline how relaxed we saw Leonor, because in this edition of the Princesa de Asturias Awards it has been detected that her public presence has gained security and weight. In fact, during almost the entire tour she accompanied Queen Letizia, always the most talkative, more than following in the footsteps of her father, King Felipe. She also did not dare to imitate him when he accepted the challenge to play bolos. She threw with considerable skill and scored, leaving the royal pavilion quite high. Her daughter, however, did not want to try it.
Leonor Likes Chorizo but Not Cider
At another moment of the cider-focused part of the tour, a Valdesoto neighbor offered a fairly generous ‘culín’ to King Felipe, who downed it in two sips. Next, Letizia, Leonor and Sofia had the same opportunity to try the Asturian beverage par excellence, but all three declined the invitation. We know that the Queen does not usually drink alcohol and it seems her daughters do not consume it, at least in the morning.
What Leonor does like, as she made clear to some Valdesoto neighbors, are the ‘tortos’ (a cornmeal dough) with chopped chorizo, a hyper-caloric combination that surely she does not test often. That said: during the tour prepared by the neighbors, she did not refrain from trying her hand at stuffing a chorizo with the traditional machine, which she carried out to perfection. “This is something new for me,” she confessed, winning everyone over with her naturalness.
El rey Feliep aceptó la invitación a sidra de una vecina de Valdesoto.
However, the most surreal moment of the royal family’s stroll through Valdesoto occurred during the performance of one of their typical ‘comedies’, written expressly for the occasion. At a certain moment, one of the characters, portrayed by an 18-year-old neighbor, spoke to Princess Leonor and asked her in Asturian: «¿Prestaría-y ser esposa de un buen galán asturiano?» And added: «Usté ya vio que so pa casose con asturiana, y pa dicir la verdá, vese que la so maxestá ye una reina bien galana».
Leonor Had Two Suitors
We translate: «¿Le gustaría ser la esposa de un buen galán asturiano? Ya vio usted que su padre se casó con una asturiana y, para decir la verdad, se ve que su maxestá ye una reina bien hermosa».
The response from a playful Princess Leonor was blunt: «De momento, no me caso». King Felipe, however, wanted to keep the joke going and said to the suitor: «Then we’ll talk later». Then, another character in the play took the reins to propose to the heiress:
«If you will allow me one opinion, to look for a partner, I have a solution: I have understood that Barbón is still single»
. In other words: «If you accept my advice, to look for a companion, I understand that Barbón is still single». The kings Felipe and Letizia roared with laughter upon hearing the couplet, and Adrián Barbón, president of the Principality, did so as well.
El momento en el que Leonor echó a funcionar la máquina de embutir chorizos.
As has been the case since 2019, Leonor delivered the speech with which the public part of the visit to the Pueblo Ejemplar closes. It was a speech much celebrated for its reference to specific neighbors and for its way of capturing the essence of the town. «Here you do not get bored and it is a pleasure to see not only the care and promotion of your customs, but also that you establish yourselves in a present that looks far ahead», she said. Next, the royal family attended the traditional lunch with the Pueblo Ejemplar, which is now held without cameras or journalists.
The Pueblo Ejemplar meal took place at the Valdesoto gymnasium, which hosted King Felipe and Queen Letizia, their daughters, Leonor and Sofía, and 800 villagers. The menu was mouth-watering, for after numerous typical Asturian appetizers, it included Argüelles fabes, pantrucu (similar to morcilla) and almond cake. The Kings and their daughters said goodbye to Valdesoto and its entertaining neighbors after four in the afternoon, after taking photos and greeting everyone who came to shake their hands.
