Spanish royals hold one-minute silence for virus victims to mark start of 10-day mourning

The Spanish royal family donned black outfits and held a minute's silence on Wednesday to pay respects to those who have lost their lives due to novel coronavirus.

For the solemn occasion, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were joined by their daughters Princess Leonor, 14 and Infanta Sofia, 13, and the staff from the Headquarters of the State at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

Pictures and videos of the mourning were later shared on the Twitter account of the Spanish royal court with the caption: "Spain mourns for so many thousands of compatriots that we have lost in this pandemic. Many continue to face it. To all, together with their families, we owe our remembrance, our mourning and our affection."

The occasion also marked the official declaration of a 10-day mourning period throughout the country for those who have died due to COVID-19. The 10-day period, starting Wednesday, is the longest national mourning declared in Spain since the restoration of democracy in the late 1970s.

According to the latest updates, Spain has registered over 2,37,000 cases, with over 27,000 deaths, and near 1,50,000 recoveries. To mourn the victims, flags in Spain remain at half-mast in more than 14,000 government buildings across the nation as well as on the Navy's vessels. Also, a black ribbon presides over the website of the royal family, their Twitter account, and their YouTube channel as a mark of respect towards the victims.

Meanwhile, the country is returning towards normalcy, and restrictions in Madrid and Barcelona were eased from Monday with bars, restaurants, and beaches reopening for the first time in 10 weeks.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia have been completing their royal duties remotely from their palace amidst the pandemic. The royal couple was themselves tested for the coronavirus after Spain Minister of Equality Irene Montero tested positive for the respiratory disease just days after meeting the queen. The couple's test results both came negative.

The Spanish monarch's two daughters also remained inside the palace to follow social distancing measures. The royal siblings however appeared in a video stream from the palace where they read a passage from "Don Quixote" on 'Book Day' on April 23 to send a message of support to young people during the lockdown.