King Felipe and Queen Letizia Pelted with Mud As Outraged Protestors Lash Out Over Deadly Spanish Floods
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were met with an angry crowd as they arrived in an area recently devastated by flash floods.
The king and queen visited the eastern city of Valencia, where residents say they were "abandoned" after being ordered to stay home after flood waters became dangerous on October 29.
Insults were thrown at the royal duo, in addition to mud and other items, upon their arrival, as one resident reportedly confronted King Felipe saying: "You've abandoned us. You're four days too late."
Once hecklers caught sight of King Felipe and Queen Letizia — who were also accompanied by the prime minister and regional leader of Valencia — they began to throw mud at the group before calling them "murderers," per 'The Guardian.'
One man also questioned the king on why the civil protection service — overseen by their regional government — sent the alert hours after the state's weather agency warned of dangerous conditions.
"They knew it, they knew it, and yet they did nothing," he shouted at the monarch. "It's a disgrace," the man reportedly shouted at the royals.
Photos obtained by the media outlet show King Felipe, 56, maneuvering through a large angry crowd with visible signs of mud on his face and clothing. His team can be seen holding an umbrella over the royal's head, in addition to sheltering him from items being tossed in his direction.
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He appeared to keep his composure, as he was also seen holding devastated residents closely, allowing them to cry in his arms, and hugging those that reached out to him.
Video footage shows Queen Letizia, 52, holding the hands of devastated women and consoling residents — at times with tears running down their faces.
"One has to understand the anger and frustration of many people given all that they have gone through, as well as the difficulty in understanding how all the mechanisms work when it comes to the emergency operations," Felipe reportedly told Valencia officials.
A year's worth of rainfall pummeled Valencia within about eight hours, causing catastrophic events in the region on October 29. Over 200 bodies have been found so far, according to the 'Associated Press,' 213 of those were found in Valencia.
Reports say the flood stands as the deadliest since 1996.
The king and queen also addressed the devastating situation on Twitter, now known as X, sending "deep gratitude" to authorities and internal leaders and "condolence and consolation" to the Spanish people.