King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain have returned to the flood damaged towns of Valencia and received a warmer welcome than their first visit.
The Spanish King and Queen visited Chiva, a town west of Valencia that was ravaged by floods on 29 October.
When they first visited the area in the days following the flood, Felipe and Letizia were hit with mud as the crowds shouted at them in anger. Although the country’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, left quickly, the King and Queen of Spain remained to meet crowds and later said that they understood their anger.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
The latest visit, after several weeks of high profile work to bring support to the area, got a much warmer welcome from local residents who took selfies and chatted with the royal pair.
Queen Letizia hugged several people, including a young girl who was thrilled to meet the royal visitors.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were then able to visit a school that had been forced to relocate due to flood damage. They spoke with students who were happy to be back in their regular classrooms.
They toured the town with its mayor, Amparo Fort, and heard about the ongoing repair and reconstruction work in town.
(Casa de S.M. el Rey)
The King and Queen of Spain once again thanked emergency service staff and volunteers for their dedicated work following the floods.
Valencia was severely impacted by an extreme weather phenomenon, known in Spanish as a DANA, at the end of October. Over 220 people died and thousands of homes and businesses were damaged. Residents in flood affected areas have complained of a lack of support.
