[imagesource:wikimedia]

Angry residents booed and threw eggs at Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia as they visited the Valencia region, where more than 200 people have died in devastating floods.

The monarch was greeted with yells of “murderer” as he toured hard-hit Paiporta, just outside Valencia, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and regional governor Carlos Mazon, where residents blame officials of a slow reaction to the tragedy.

After they posed for a photo, people in the crowd hurled insults at the king, Mazon, and Sanchez. The crowd rushed forwards as security opened umbrellas to shield them from projectiles.

Despite being a relatively popular figure, King Felipe has come under fire for the government’s slow response to the floods. While most of the anger was directed at Prime Minister Sanchez and Governor Mazon, the king and queen ducked and dived their way through the crowds.

When confronted by one neighbour, King Felipe remained calm and lowered his umbrella to listen to him while police attempted to manage the crowd. Queen Letizia also addressed angry citizens and appeared visibly distressed, cradling her head in her hands.

Following the demonstration, the Royal Family’s social media page aired a video of the monarch and queen embracing devastated locals. One man sobbed into the monarch’s arms, and in another scene, the king is seen consoling two grieving women.

“It’s amazing how the government says yeah, it’s not our fault. It’s someone else’s fault. But at this time we have to put our hands together and help each other. The military and police are helping but not as much as we hoped and they are days late.”

At least 214 people are now confirmed dead from the floods and the toll may climb higher. Among the latest victims was a 70-year-old woman whose body was found more than 12 kilometres from her house.

Drone footage shared on YouTube shows the devastation following the floods: