TEMUCO, CHILE – After a thirty-three-year absence, the Royal House of Araucania and Patagonia has made a significant official return to the field. Prince Antoine V, known in civil life as Laurent Lafayne, concluded a high-level diplomatic mission of 3 weeks in Chile early this year. This visit, the first by a Prince since 1993, was aimed at effectively renewing the historic and legal alliance established in 1860.
High-Level Reception by the Mapuche Autonomous Parliament
A cornerstone of this mission was the official reception of the Prince by the Mapuche Autonomous Parliament. This high-level audience served as a platform for a direct and solemn dialogue between the Prince and traditional authorities.
During this encounter, the Prince emphasized that true legitimacy is built on the ground through shared experience :
“The truth of Wallmapu cannot be learned from the illusory comfort of books… It was my duty to come here physically. Only those who walk this soil can claim to bear accurate witness to what the Mapuche People are truly experiencing,” he stated.
A Strategy of Physical Presence
From January to February 2026, the Prince traveled through the strategic territories of Lonquimay, Melipeuco, Perquenco, Coñaripe, and Frutillar. Choosing direct engagement over remote protocol, he becomes only the third monarch in history to physically meet with traditional authorities on their ancestral lands since the Kingdom’s foundation.
Academic and Institutional Recognition
The mission also resonated within several influential regional spheres :
* Academic Engagement : At the Arturo Prat University (Victoria), the Prince participated in a Nutramkan (discussion circle) dedicated to the Treaty of Tapihue, reinforcing his role as an interlocutor on historical legal rights.
* Cultural Conservation : Received in a private visit by the Curator of the Regional Museum of Araucania in Temuco, the Prince reviewed the founding archives of 1860, highlighting the historical continuity of his mission.
* Knowledge Transmission : As the guest of honor at the Kimeltuwe in Frutillar, supported by the University of Santiago (USACH), he reaffirmed the Royal House’s commitment to preserving cultural identity.
A Media Milestone : The El Austral Exclusive
The impact of this journey was reflected in an exceptional level of local media coverage. The region’s newspaper of record, El Austral, dedicated a full-page article to the Prince’s visit.
This editorial treatment is a major journalistic event : it represents the single and only article dedicated to a Prince of Araucania by the newspaper since 1993. By breaking over three decades of media silence, this high-profile publication underscores the renewed interest in the Prince’s actions within the region.
Humanitarian Action as a Diplomatic Lever
To translate these exchanges into concrete results, the Prince relies on the NGO The Order of the Southern Star. Working in coordination with Mapuche International Link, the Royal House intends to structure its humanitarian and legal support, particularly in bringing community grievances before international bodies.
At a time when territorial and identity issues remain central to the Chilean political landscape, this 2026 mission repositioned the Prince as an active and engaged diplomatic figure on the ground.
For more information on the Prince’s activities and official archives : araucanie-patagonie.org.