Queen Emeritus Sofia of Spain has been in the United States for two days as part of her duties as President of the Sofía Spanish Institute. This Thursday, March 31, Queen Sofia awarded the Excellence Prizes in her name to Spaniards or Hispanics who have contributed to the cultural influence of the Hispanic world internationally.
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Queen Sofia presents the Sophia Awards for Excellence in New York
Queen Sofia participated in the launch of the Royal Academy of History’s Electronic Biographical Dictionary this Wednesday in New York. The next day, it was still in New York that the mother of King Felipe VI was expected to present her Excellence Award. A Hispanic of excellence, whose work is recognized throughout the world, was invited to the ceremony. The designer Carolina Herrera, of Venezuelan origin, was Marchioness of Torre Casa by her marriage, until the revocation of the title of her husband, former editor of Vanity Fair magazine.
The Sophia Award for Excellence is given by the Sofía Spanish Institute, a foundation of which the wife of Juan Carlos is the president. The Sophia Award is an award that bears the name of the Queen Emeritus and directly refers to the meaning of her first name. Sophia, in Greek, means wisdom.
It is with wisdom, reflection and appreciation that Queen Sofia, 83, designated the winners of the prize, this Thursday, March 31, during a ceremony which took place during a dinner. Upon arriving at the dining room of the Sofía Spanish Institute, the queen was led to her table. After several speeches by foundation officials, a video presentation of the winners was shown.
During the meal, Queen Sofia was invited to come on stage. “In this very special year, following two years of pandemic, we have three exceptional personalities who have done extraordinary work in the fields of history, philanthropy and gastronomy. Excellence in work is the characteristic that has guided their decisions throughout decades of effort”, said the queen.
After the delivery of the #SophiaAwards2022 from @qssi_nyQueen Sofía highlighted the extraordinary work of the winners:⁰
????️ “Excellence at work is the characteristic that has guided your decisions over decades of effort.”
➡️https://t.co/8XJe8lVuyx pic.twitter.com/dsPDpjRVbN
— House of SM the King (@CasaReal) April 1, 2022
Queen Sofia then presented the Sophia Award for Excellence to three Spaniards, Carmen Iglesias, Carlos Slim and José Andrés. The latter was not present at the ceremony and it was his daughter who came to collect the trophy in his place. The trophy is a statue of the Queen half-covered with the American Stars and Stripes and the Spanish flag.
Carmen Iglesias is the first woman to lead the Royal Academy of Spanish History since it was founded in 1736. King Felipe was her pupil. For her work on history, she has received numerous accolades, including the Grand Cross from Alfonso X the Wise. Carlos Slim is one of the best-known philanthropists, who through his foundation directs three associations that focus on the arts, education and culture, sports and the restoration of downtown Mexico City. José Andrés is one of the best-known Spanish chefs in the United States. He has a large number of restaurants there and his association World Central Kitchen is also very famous. He received the 2015 National Humanities Medal from President Obama.
The mission of the Sofía Spanish Institute is to strengthen cultural ties between the Spanish-speaking world and the United States. From 1978 to 2013, the Institute annually awarded the “gold medals” to people who had contributed to the international promotion of Spain and the Hispanic world. In 2018, the Institute returned to the tradition of awarding this prize by renaming it the “Sophia Award for Excellence”.
