Royals and PM join poignant memorial for Germanwings victims

AS the Spanish royals attended a memorial for victims of the Germanwings plane that crashed in the French Alps last month, Queen Letizia comforted grieving relatives.

In a poignant memorial service in Barcelona today, the Queen along with her husband King Felipe met with the relatives of some of the Spaniards who died. Letizia shook hands with and embraced the families of the victims.

She also met with students who had hosted the 16 pupils from Germany who had been visiting Spain and were travelling back to Dusseldorf on board the tragic flight.

In a service at Barcelona’s landmark Sagrada Familia basilica, mass was led by Cardinal Lluís Martínez Sistach. But at the request of some of the families, other Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders were present for the service in the colossal church designed by Gaudi.

Around 1,000 people gathered outside while the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also joined the congregation, in a service that began with a recitation of ‘Let the Earth Praise the Lord’.