Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, returned from her studies in Wales to hand out the Princess of Asturias awards late last month.

The awards are among the highest civilian honors bestowed by the Spanish Royal Family and the ceremony is among the most important events of the year.

The princess, 16, said, “I will soon return to my studies with the memory of giving out these awards, which ones again excite us and move us.”

She said, “I will miss this land, Asturias, which I love and where my sister, Sofia, and I feel so at home.”

Princess Leonor’s mom, Queen Letizia, is a native of Asturias, in the north of Spain. Princess of Asturias is one of the titles held by the heir to the Spanish throne.

The awards are handed out at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, Asturias. But there are events before and after the main ceremony, including a visit to an Asturian community.

Attending were King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor, Queen Sofia and Infanta Sofia. The royals arrive in separate cars and make a grand entrance to the tune of bagpipes.

Queen Letizia traveled to Switzerland on Friday to inaugurate an exposition of works by Spanish master Goya.

The works are on display at the Beyeler Foundation museum near the Swiss city of Basel.

King Felipe last week visited the city of Tenerife in the Canary Islands to speak with officials about the ongoing volcanic eruptions in the nearby island of La Palma.

The King visited with members of the Canary Island Tourism Council to discuss the impact on the regional economy.

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast. His Majesty also visited the parliament building in Tenerife for an awards ceremony.

Spain’s royals have held meetings in recent weeks with the leaders of Colombia, Angola and Portugal amid a busy fall agenda.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia last month welcomed the president of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, and his wife, Ana Dias Lourenço at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Earlier in the month, Their Majesties were in Portugal with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to inaugurate a cancer center in Lisbon.

The center is backed by the Champalimaud Foundation. The King’s mother, Queen Sofia, is involved with the group, according to the Royal Household.

The King was in Lisbon Sept. 12 for the state funeral of former Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio.

On Sept. 16, King Felipe and Queen Letizia held a lunch for Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez, his wife María Juliana Ruiz and a delegation from both countries.

Earlier this month the King welcomed several new ambassadors to present their credentials at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Another recent guest to Spain was Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.

Queen Sofia attended the opera last week for the opening of the Madrid Royal Theater’s 2021-2022 season.

The venue is celebrating 100 seasons since its opening in the 1800’s and its 25th season since reopening in 1997.

This year’s opera is Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Last year the Royal Theater put on A Masked Ball, as Spaniards returned to performance venues under COVID-19 precautions.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the island of La Palma this past week to meet with rescue workers and people affected by the ongoing volcanic eruption.

The volcano in La Palma, part of the Canary Islands, had been dormant since the 1970’s. The lava has destroyed numerous homes. Their Majesties were joined by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during their tour.