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King Felipe of Spain was forced to cut his summer vacation short this week to deal with a national emergency back at home.
The monarch, who was reportedly vacationing in Greece with his family, flew to the Headquarters of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) at the Torrejón Air Base, northeast of Madrid, on Aug. 17. There, he was briefed on the massive wildfires that are decimating the northwest region of the country.
Sky News reported on Monday, Aug. 18, that up to 20 major fires are burning in the Galicia region of Spain, as well as in neighboring Portugal. The fires have burned up to 390,000 acres and caused at least three deaths in the last week alone.
The outlet also reported that, upon the King’s arrival, an additional 500 soldiers were deployed to fight the fires, taking the total to 1,900.
In a video posted to Instagram, King Felipe, 57, thanked “all active military, civilians, volunteers, etc. that are fighting the devastating wildfires ravaging much of our country.”
“[You have] 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,” the post read in Spanish.
The country is also receiving aid from the European Union’s firefighting forces; however, the whole of southeastern Europe is currently suffering from wildfires, with recent requests also coming from Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania, Sky News reported.
Hola! reported on Sunday, Aug. 17, that sources at Zarzuela Palace said that King Felipe is in contact with the presidents of the communities affected the most by the wildfires, as well as the Spanish government.
The King and his wife, Queen Letizia, reportedly used their royal connections to enjoy their private getaway to southern Greece with their daughters, Princess Leonor, 19, and Princess Sofia, 18.
Hello! reported last week that royal sources believed the family was staying in a residence owned by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The private property in the Peloponnese region includes a tennis court, a swimming pool, a private beach and an exclusive harbour — perfect for the Spanish King, who loves to sail.
Raul Terrel/Europa Press via Getty
Prior to their Greek getaway, the royal family spent time in Mallorca, their traditional summer holiday destination.
The summer break came as Princess Leonor is currently in the midst of a three-year military training program, preparing to follow in her father’s footsteps to the Spanish throne.
On July 16, during a ceremony at Escuela Naval in Pontevedra, Spain, the King promoted his daughter to the rank of Midshipman of 2nd grade and awarded her the Grand Cross of Naval Merit.
Carlos Alvarez/Getty
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Next up, Leonor will complete her third and final year of training at the Air Force Academy in San Javier, Murcia.
Her sister, Princess Sofia, is embarking on a different kind of training, preparing to study Politics and International Relations at Forward College.
The three-year degree program is taught for one year each in Lisbon, Portugal; Paris, France and Berlin, Germany.
