The proximity of the Princess of Asturias Awards has also brought an unexpected problem. The Foundation has detected new attempts to impersonate its identity to offer false invitations to the award ceremony and to other events in which the Royal Family will be present.
The institution detected a first case in July and then informed the authorities. Now, with the emergence of new episodes and the proximity of the ceremony, it has requested to take extra precautions.
How royal invitations work
The Foundation has made a clear rule. The only valid invitations to attend its activities are those sent directly by the Princess of Asturias Foundation itself.
Neither the Royal House nor other public or private institutions distribute invitations on behalf of the entity for these events.
There is also another piece of information that allows for the quick detection of an attempted fraud. Admission is free. The Foundation does not require any payment in exchange for an invitation nor does it ask for scanned official documents to gain access to the ceremony.
If they ask you for money, be suspicious
The Foundation itself has long maintained a specific warning about fake profiles and fraudulent communications. In it, it explains that its name and that of the Princess of Asturias have been used to make economic proposals or attempt to raise money.
The entity insists that it does not offer financial aid, private grants, raffles or any other mechanism through which it requests or delivers money to citizens via private messages.
Neither does Princess Leonor request, offer, or manage financial contributions through the Foundation.
WhatsApp and email, among the channels used
The new cases are related to communications that arrive directly to potential attendees.
The Foundation has warned of contacts via email and messaging services that appear to come from the institution and offer access to the ceremony or to certain areas of the events. The danger is that the appearance can seem plausible.
The Awards have institutional guests each year, representatives from culture, science, and civil society, so receiving a supposed invitation may not initially raise suspicions.
How to verify if an invitation is authentic
The simplest way is to verify who has sent it. The Foundation recommends not to use phones, email addresses, or links included within the suspicious message itself.
Valid information about the awards and their activities is also published on the official channels of the Foundation and the Royal House.
When the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 will be held
The ceremony will be held on October 23 at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo. It will be one of the main institutional events of the autumn and will feature the Royal Family.
Among the awardees of this edition are Patti Smith in Arts, Studio Ghibli in Communication and Humanities, Leo Messi in Sports, Julian Barnes in Letters, and Christina Koch in Concord.
The Foundation also allows requests for invitations to certain events associated with the awards through its own official forms.
For example, the deadline to request attendance at the XXXIV Princess of Asturias Awards Concert remains open until September 14. The Foundation warns in that process that it will communicate in October whether the request has been accepted.
What to do if you have already received a suspicious invitation
- Do not make any payment.
- Do not send photographs of the ID, passport, or other official documents.
- Do not provide bank details.
- And check the invitation directly with the Foundation.
The institution itself also recommends reporting possible cases of impersonation to the competent authorities.