King Felipe has joined a minute's silence held in Barcelona today to remember those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks on Las Ramblas and in nearby Cambrils on August 17th 2017. The King of Spain stood alongside his country's Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, in the Plaza de Catalunya in the heart of Barcelona as thousands paid tribute.
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) August 18, 2017
King Felipe arrived in the city just before noon on August 18th and joined a large crowd waiting to pay tribute to those killed and injured when a van was driven along the busy street on the afternoon of August 17th. Fourteen people are now known to have died in that attack and another just hours later in the nearby coastal town of Camrbils. Around 130 people were injured. Three days of national mourning have been declared in Spain.
Son unos asesinos, simplemente unos criminales que no nos van a aterrorizar. Toda España es Barcelona. Las Ramblas volverán a ser de todos.— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) August 17, 2017
In the hours following the attack, the official Spanish Royal Household Twitter account issued a message which read ''They are killers, just criminals who aren't going to terrorise us. All of Spain is Barcelona. Las Ramblas will return to being for everyone''.
Our thoughts are with the victims of #Barcelona & their families. We wish them and the Spanish authorities strength & resilience! @CasaReal— Belgian Royal Palace (@MonarchieBe) August 17, 2017
There was also a series of tweets from the Belgian Royal Palace sending condolences to those affected and to the people of Spain. It was the first in a series of messages to Spain, King Felipe and the people of Barcelona from royal houses across Europe. King Harald V of Norway said he was deeply saddened by the events in his letter to Felipe and asked him to pass on the ''deepest sympathy of the Norwegian people to the bereaved families and to those who are injured.''
King Carl XVI Gustaf said in his message that he and Queen Silvia sent their deepest condolences and 'extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims and the people of Spain''. Queen Margrethe, who is in France right now, sent a message in which she said '' on behalf of my family and the Danish people, please accept my heartfelt condolences''.
The Queen sent a message to King Felipe in which she said ''Prince Philip and I send our sincere condolences to Your Majesty, and the people of Spain, following the terrible terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils'' before continuing ''it is deeply upsetting when innocent people are put at risk in this way when going about their daily lives''.
King Carl XVI Gustaf said in his message that he and Queen Silvia sent their deepest condolences and 'extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims and the people of Spain''. Queen Margrethe, who is in France right now, sent a message in which she said '' on behalf of my family and the Danish people, please accept my heartfelt condolences''.
Following the attacks in Barcelona & Cambrils, The Queen has sent a message of condolence to The King of Spain. https://t.co/Fk14hJPOtE— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 18, 2017
There were condolences, too, from Prince Albert II of Monaco who sent his sympathies and assured King Felipe of the ongoing support of his own country.On Saturday August 19th 2017, King Felipe and Queen Letizia are due to visit those injured in the attacks.
Photo credit: BBC News still.
