On 18 June 2026, at the Naval Museum in Madrid and in the presence of His Royal Highness Don Pedro de Borbón-Dos Sicilias, Bernard Vincent was announced as the winner of the 8th edition of the Spanish Orders History Prize. The competition received 29 entries from 14 countries.

Educated at the Sorbonne, his ties with Spain were strengthened through his successive posts at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, an institution of which he eventually became Secretary-General. At the Sorbonne, he headed the History Division and was Director of the Centre de Recherches Historiques.

He is regarded as one of the leading international specialists in the history of the Moriscos, the Kingdom of Granada and the ethnic and religious minorities of modern Spain. His research has focused on social history and the history of mentalities, contributing to a broad and comparative understanding of the Spanish Monarchy. Among his 22 published books, ‘1492, l’Année admirable’ stands out as one of his most internationally recognised works.

He has been a prolific mentor to historians of various nationalities, supervising numerous doctoral theses, promoting postdoctoral research and serving on more than two hundred academic examination boards.

His career has been recognised with honorary doctorates from the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of Alicante, the University of Almería, the University of Granada and the University of Rosario. He is a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of History and has been honoured, amongst other distinctions, with the Order of Civil Merit.

The aim of the Órdenes Españolas History Prize is to highlight the history and careers of those researchers who have worked with dedication and rigour to convey the truth of past events, provided that some aspect of their work relates to Hispanic culture and its global influence. The prize is worth 65,000 euros.

The prize is administered by the Spanish Orders Foundation and is supported by: the Areces Foundation, the Talgo Foundation, the Royal Association of Hidalgos of Spain, the Nemesio Diez Foundation, Mr Ramón Pérez-Maura in a personal capacity, and the Historiae Amicus association, which is managed by the Spanish Orders Foundation and comprises various individuals acting in a personal capacity.