Coronation Dinner Speech of H.R.H. Prince Antoine V
Futha Apo Toki – 9th Sovereign of Araucania and Patagonia
Grand Master of the Royal and Noble Orders

22 Nov 2025

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Members of the nobility of the realm,
Ladies and Knights of the Order of the Steel Crown,

Dear guests,

I am delighted to welcome you to the heart of Monaco.

This evening reflects the Principality: multicultural and dynamic.

Tonight, twelve nationalities are represented. New faces are joining us.

We are not a club of history buffs.

We are here to share a story, that of Antoine de Tounens, a man who, in 1860, inspired by the voices of warrior chiefs, founded a kingdom in South America.

But above all, we are here to write history: the history of the Mapuche people.

The Kingdom must be a beacon of hope, an ally on which every Mapuche can rely to have their rights and ancestral culture recognized. Tonight, I will take the oath upon the crown of the kingdom, symbol of our vibrant monarchy. Encircled by stones from the four cardinal points of Wallmapu, our ancestral land, it represents the alliance between the Kingdom and the Mapuche people.

Tonight, we will celebrate the memory of a woman who passed away fifty years ago.

This woman dedicated her life to the fight for human rights, civil rights, and fraternity.

Madame Josephine Baker will join the Order of the Steel Crown, founded by my ancestor in 1869, and become a Dame of the Order.

Tonight, I will bestow two titles of nobility from our kingdom in recognition of their work in defending our cause.

I will also present a medal to two individuals to whom the Kingdom wishes to show special recognition.

Tonight, we welcome among us the Grand Master and two Knights of the Order of Montegrillo. May this evening be the beginning of a long friendship.

Tonight, I officially announce my visit to Wallmapu, planned for early 2026, to meet with the ancestral authorities, as well as the project leaders whose work we support.

I wish to thank you all for being here.

This evening is being held to benefit our NGO, the Order of the Southern Star.

The funds we raise allow us to finance concrete projects in Wallmapu.

I will now take a new oath on the crown, as a sign of my total commitment to my role as the ninth sovereign of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia, and of my support for the Mapuche people.