The Kings get a warm welcome in Barcelona

As 4pm approached, an army of children awaited the arrival of the Kings in Barcelona’s port. At 4.04pm, the Santa Eulàlia sailing ship appeared with the kings on board, who were then welcomed on land by mayor, Ada Colau, and the head of the port authority, Mercè Conesa. On arriving, King Melcior addressed a few words to the crowd, pointing out that there were lots of refugees in the world seeking refuge, and that Barcelona has always been “an open, peaceful and welcoming city.”

Before the arrival of the Kings, Colau had addressed the crowd, explaining that the ship of the Open Arms organisation had accompanied their majesties to the port. In fact, the idea had been for the Kings to arrive aboard the NGO’s vessel, but the regulations made that impossible. Yet, Colau gave thanks to Open Arms, as “the people who save lives at sea represent, in the same way as the Three Kings, the best of humanity.”