KIng and Queen of Spain visit Catalonia

Hundreds of Catalan independence supporters demonstrated outside a monastery in the region Monday where King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were visiting.

Some of the activists tried to reach the monastery by venturing into nearby vineyards as the police blocked access at the main road.

The royals' visit comes as a barrage of media leaks have revealed how the king's father, former monarch Juan Carlos I, allegedly hid millions of untaxed euros in offshore funds.

Against that backdrop, the royal couple are planning to visit all of Spain's 17 regions, intended as a show of support for the citizens and the economy as it recovers from the first wave of the pandemic.

The Catalan leg of the tour was initially planned for last week but royal officials postponed it and scaled it back due to the spike in the number of virus cases in Catalonia.