James Warren
QUEEN Doña Sofia caused a stir in the Axarquian fishing town of Rincon de la Victoria at the weekend.
The 81-year-old monarch arrived at the coastal town to participate in International Beach Cleaning Day, an incentive to tidy up the world’s beaches after a summer of use.
During her 30-minute visit, Queen Doña Sofia donned gloves, a mask and refuse bags and joined the volunteers in collecting trash from the Virgen del Carmen beach.
In an effort to keep the crowds to a minimum during her visit, media was kept in the dark until the very last minute, however despite this, almost 700 onlookers gathered to show their support.
Policia Local agents and security teams kept the crowds to a safe distance as Dona Sofia scanned the 300 metre stretch of coastline.
During her 30 minute stay in Rincon de la Victoria, the support from the audience was overwhelming, with shouts of ‘Long live the Queen!’, ‘Beautiful!’ and ‘Long live Spain!’.
As the collection drew to a close, Dona Sofia greeted the crowd and thanked everyone for their support.
Mayor of Rincon, Francisco Salado (PP), said: “It is a pride for all that she has accompanied us and has been so involved.”
The love for the former monarch is far removed from the controversy surrounding her husband Juan Carlos I and the investigation into his corruption throughout his reign.
The event was organised by the Proyecto LIBERA organisation to participate in the international clean-up day.
In total, 25 refuse sacks were filled, removing plastics, masks and cigarette butts from the sand.
Next week, the town will participate in the Marine Seabed Clean-Up project where expert divers from the Marine Watch Network will collect litter from under the surface of the water.
