King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain have hosted author Luis Mateo Diez to present a literary prize. 

On April 23rd, The King and Queen presented Diez with the 2023 Cervantes Prize. The Miguel de Cervantes Prize is the most significant literary prize in the Spanish language; it is given to an author to celebrate an author’s lifetime achievement in Spanish language literature. 

Diez, 81,  is a prolific author, and his Kingdom of Celama novels are incredibly popular. In 2020, he also won the National Prize for Spanish Literature. He has won the National Narrative and Critic Award twice. 

King Felipe gave a speech at the end of the ceremony where he lauded Diez’s authorial talents and shared why he given the prize this year.

“Luis Mateo Díez…has practiced all genres with mastery… a formidable creator of worlds and imaginary territories, who, as he himself says, lives by telling stories and tells stories by living; because fiction is an essential part of existence”. 

The King and Queen of Spain then hosted Diez for a lunch to celebrate on April 24th. They welcomed the author among other dignitaries to the Royal Palace in Madrid. The pair looked to be enjoying themselves as they chatted with guests.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia recently returned from a State Visit to the Netherlands last week.