King Felipe of Spain has cut short his holiday due to the wildfires across Spain, it has been revealed. It had been reported that another 500 soldiers have been deployed to tackle up to 20 major wildfires, with the majority in Spain’s northwestern region of Galicia.
The Spanish King, who had been holidaying in Greece, returned to Torrejón Air Base, northeast of Madrid, on August 17. The 57-year-old then travelled straight to the Headquarters of the Military Emergency Unit (UME).
He was greeted there by Margarita Robles, the Minister of Defence, and Francisco Javier Marcos, the Lieutenant General in charge of the UME.
Taking to Instagram, the Spanish royal also expressed his gratitude to the emergency services, saying: “Thank you to all active military, civilian, volunteer, etc. that you are fighting the devastating wildfires ravaging much of our country.
“Our recognition and maximum gratitude for the incredible effort and work you are doing to protect the civilian population and try to extinguish them as quickly as possible.”
Speaking of the King, HELLO!’s Galicia-born Digital Content Director, Andrea Caamano, said: “Spain is facing a very serious situation, and King Felipe has always demonstrated how to act when the nation confronts a crisis. He was present in Valencia after the devastating floods, and this is yet another catastrophe where visible leadership is essential.
“With the UME stretched across the country and local communities working tirelessly to contain the wildfires, King Felipe would never consider remaining on holiday abroad as an option.
Prior to the emergency, the royal had been spending time with his wife, Queen Letizia, 52, and their daughters, Princess Leonor, 19, and Infanta Sofia, 18, in Greece.
HOLA! had reported that the family had been staying at King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands’ summer residence in the Peloponnese region of Greece.
As well as Princess Leonor’s final year of military training, Infanta Sofia will be heading to Forward College.
