Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were the royal mourners at the Cathedral of Valencia on Monday as a mass was held to remember those killed in the devastating floods caused by the DANA at the end of October.
On 29 October, a year’s worth of rain fell in the Valencia region causing the deaths of more than 230 people and creating devastation as buildings and properties were damaged. The public was outraged at the lack of emergency preparedness and official warnings ahead of the torrential rain.
The royal couple arrived at the Cathedral of Valencia for Monday’s mass, presided over by Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Enrique Benavent. King Felipe and Queen Letizia sat at the front of the church, where, according to the Palace, “the victims of the DANA were remembered and solidarity was expressed with those affected.”
Following the mass, King Felipe and Queen Letizia met with several of the victims’ families, with reports saying they stayed a half-an-hour and made time to talk with the families, as echoes of “Long Live the King” occasionally rang out from the crowd.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have maintained connections with the people of Valencia since the floods took place. In one of the most emotionally charged royal moments of the year, the Spanish royals pressed on without the protection of bodyguards or umbrellas as the people of Valencia screamed and threw mud at them days after the floods.
They returned a month later to better reception.