
The Christmas card of the King and Queen of Spain this year includes a tribute to all those killed in the torrential floods which devastated parts of the country earlier this year.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have chosen a poem as their seasonal message in the card they will be sending out as 2024 comes to an end.
Over 200 people were killed when a weather system known as a DANA caused heavy rain and flash floods in October, sweeping away cars and homes. The region of Valencia was particularly badly hit.
The verse chosen by the King and Queen of Spain is by one of Valencia’s most famous poets, Francisco Brines. They have taken words from his work ”A Trace of Happiness” as their tribute to those who died.
The card bears an unseen photograph taken in June 2024 when King Felipe VI marked the tenth anniversary of his accession.
It shows the King and Queen of Spain with their two daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia.
The personal greeting from the royals reads ”Merry Christmas and may we all face the New Year with greater confidence.”
The Spanish royal family has also shared the card sent this year by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. As they always do, they have chosen a nativity scene for their greeting. This year, it is a depiction of Mary and Joseph praying over the newborn Jesus, as shown in the altarpiece of the main chapel in Toledo Cathedral.