Taken by the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, the photos of the royal couple provoked the anger of many Internet users, almost a month after the floods which cost the lives of nearly 230 Spaniards.
Their portraits are not unanimous. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were indeed immortalized by the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, on the occasion of the ten years of reign of the Spanish sovereign, just a few months after the royal couple's twenty years of marriage. The diptych was shared on Instagram by the Bank of Spain on Tuesday, November 26 – an opportunity to expand its collection of royal portraits.
If some Internet users have posted laudatory comments about the portraits, praising in particular “the breathtaking beauty of Queen Letizia”, others have not forgotten the recent floods which affected the country, a tragedy which caused the death of nearly 230 people. On November 3, the royal couple traveled to Paiporta, a town particularly affected by the floods of October 29. The king and queen were greeted with insults and mud-throwing. “Assassins,” the crowd chanted as they arrived.
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A bruised Spain
And tensions are still palpable in the country. On social networks, the Spanish pointed out the cost of producing the official portraits, which amounts to 137,000 euros. On Twitter, Internet users reacted strongly: “It would have been great if the money used for these portraits had been donated to the people affected by DANA (the meteorological phenomenon which caused the floods, Editor's note)».
“Corrupt monarchs,” wrote others. “You must have little empathy towards the Valencians for the Bank of Spain to spend 140,000 euros on these portraits,” added a third.
And even a “shame” for many Internet users. One of them also published a photo montage representing the monarchs posing in a recycling center. Proof that the anger of the Spaniards is still far from being appeased.