Over the weekend, King Felipe and Queen Letizia travelled to La Palma, in the Canary Islands, to honour those who helped in the rescue and rebuild following the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano last summer.
Their Majesties arrived on the island in the morning of Saturday, 12th March, and were welcomed by many state and local authorities, including the Prime Minister and the President of the Senate.
Upon arrival, the King and Queen has a stroll through the streets of the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, stopping in local shops and posing for pictures with residents. They took the opportunity to get a first hand account of the situation from locals when they chatted with people they encountered in the shops or on the street.
Following a quick outfit change, the more “official” part of the day was underway. Hosting the ceremony was the La Palma Insular Museum, located within the walls of the St Francis Monastery, one of the oldest buildings on the island.
The ceremony began with the Spanish National Anthem, followed by a video about the eruption and the efforts made by volunteers and first responders to combat its consequences.
It was then time for King Felipe and Queen Letizia to hand out the Medals of Merit of the Civil Protection. Several different ranks of this decoration exist, and many local organisations received them for their exemplary work in their field, with the common goal of providing aid, comfort and information to the people of La Palma.
Among the award recipients was the organisation World Central Kitchen, which gained international fame during the pandemic and which received the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord last October.
Following the award ceremony, King Felipe gave a speech, beginning by discussing the fact that the event was supposed to take place on the 24th of February, and had to be cancelled last minute because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
After offering words of support for the Ukrainian people and reaffirming Spain’s commitment to the European Union, His Majesty focussed his attention on the people of La Palma, praising them for the response they produced when faced with the crisis, and despite the pain of losing so much.
He concluded his speech reminding the people present that, throughout the whole ordeal and the coming months of rebuilding, “you will always have the Queen and myself, always next to you”.
Before the King spoke, a poem was read, titled “I return to La Palma”, and after he spoke, the Insular and Youth Choir of La Palma sang “I live in an archipelago”.
While King Felipe remained in La Palma for a conference of Presidents, Queen Letizia made her way back to Madrid. His Majesty is expected in Toledo on Monday.
