There will be a before and an after. On the night of October 29 or 30, storm DANA devastated the Valencia region and its surroundings. In total, 219 people died, trapped by the water in their homes, or swept away by the floods while they were still in their cars. 89 people are still missing. A dramatic assessment which pushed Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to go to Paiporta, one of the towns most affected by the floods. Accompanied by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the couple of monarchs were targeted by victims angry with the government, which they accuse of negligence.
The inhabitants of the ravaged municipalities did not receive an alert message advising them to evacuate their homes until very late, which condemned dozens of people who did not have time to take shelter and who could not be rescued. Far from expecting a warm welcome, Felipe and Letizia were thrown with mud and even heckled by the desperate and mourning crowd. Violent images rarely seen in the presence of a king and a queen. And proof that this night of horror will remain etched in memories and will leave an indelible mark on the reign of Felipe VI, crowned ten years ago.
>> PHOTOS – Letizia of Spain in tears, Felipe VI heckled: discover the impressive images of their eventful arrival in Paiporta
Between hugs and tears: the historic letting go of Queen Letizia
If this episode of distress is far from being able to be summed up as a simple outburst of anger on the part of misunderstood Spaniards, it is in particular because it is the symbol of a monarchy which evolves with the times. Despite evacuation instructions from their security service, Felipe and Letizia insisted on staying there, unlike the head of government. Photographed wiping her tears, the queen, a former journalist who often covered this type of tragedy, took the time to listen to the victims and hug them. Just like her husband, who after having signaled to his ulcerated interlocutors to calm down, allowed himself to be approached (very) closely by broken Valencians, whom he consoled.
Before arriving, the royal tandem knew what awaited them. According to information fromThe CountryCrown advisors had taken the temperature on the ground a few hours earlier and informed the couple of sovereigns of the likely strong reactions that their arrival would arouse. But that did not stop Juan Carlos' son and his wife from accomplishing this “duty” towards their people. The day after the floods, Felipe, from the Gando military base in the Canary Islands, spoke, visibly moved by the disastrous consequences of the natural disaster. The same emotion overwhelmed him in Paiporta, when the traumatized inhabitants told him of their helplessness in the face of the torrents of mud which, for many, took away their entire lives in their wake.
Felipe VI to the task, he responds after the Valencian disaster
Despite the violence and pain faced there, Felipe VI and Letizia would like to make another trip to one of the cities affected by the storm in the coming days, reveals Vanitatis. Undeniably putting their image to the test, these visits are, for the parents of Princesses Leonor and Sofia, a way of “don’t leave the Valencians alone” in the face of tragedy. Aware of the risks of coming face to face again with the anger of the castaways, the king and his wife would wait “impatiently” to return to the field, report sources close to the Palace without any date being announced yet. Still not fully controlled, the situation in flooded areas – and which could still be flooded – is one of the criteria which will determine the next royal visit to the south of the country.
In the meantime, sovereigns are far from resuming their commitments as if nothing had happened. The majority of their trips have been canceled in order to concentrate on Valencia and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants. On November 4, Felipe VI and Pedro Sanchez appeared at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base, near Madrid, for a crisis meeting. The monarch also asked the Guardia Real, responsible for his protection, to come to the aid of the rescue and cleaning services of flooded towns, also reports the Spanish press.
One thing is certain: as the sliding of a section of a slag heap on the small Welsh town of Aberfan in 1966 marked with a hot iron the reign of Elizabeth II, who remained immensely regretful at not having gone there earlier, the Valencia floods today appear as a turning point in the Felipe VI era.
Photo credits: Europa Press / Bestimage
