King Felipe VI visits Montserrat Abbey amid pro-independence protests

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia on Monday as part of the monastery's millennium celebrations.

The visit was met with hostility from pro-independence supporters, as the abbey is a powerful symbol of Catalan identity. The monastery is also home to the Moreneta, Catalonia’s patron saint.

Since early morning, dozens of protesters had gathered at the base of the mountain.

Lluís Llach, president of the civic group ANC, called on citizens to prevent the King from “walking normally” through Montserrat.

Protesters unfurled a large pro-independence flag and accused the Catalan police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, of confiscating these flags.

“If Spain wants this King, they can have him,” Llach declared. “We do not want any monarch, especially not one who is a direct heir of Franco’s dictatorship.”

He also highlighted the "deep symbolic importance" Montserrat Abbey holds for Catalonia.

Protesters later made their way up the mountain on the rack railway, where tensions flared near the top of the abbey as they confronted a heavy police presence.

A dozen protesters were identified and reported by police, mostly for disobedience. One individual was cited for striking an officer with a flag. So far, no arrests have been made.

Due to the protest, the royal couple reportedly arrived by helicopter near the abbey and completed the final stretch by car.

The protest concluded after the monarchs entered the abbey to take part in the official celebration.

“Despite batons, ID checks, and police violence, we made our voice heard,” the ANC said in a statement.

Former president Carles Puigdemont criticized the visit on X, calling it a "provocation."

"It’s part of a plan to Spanishize the country, and this is well known not only in Madrid but also in the Catalan and Barcelona governments. They don’t want the King to be made uncomfortable, so they’ve ordered the repression to continue," he wrote.

Felipe VI defends shared identity

During his speech, King Felipe VI spoke out against “exclusive identities” and “extremism.”

The monarch praised Montserrat as a “meeting point” for Catalan, Spanish, and European cultures.

He described the Montserrat mountains as a “spiritual, moral, and intellectual beacon.”

“When we entered the basilica, we did so fully aware of its great symbolism and historical significance,” he said, delivering his remarks in both Spanish and Catalan.

Catalan president Salvador Illa also attended the event at Montserrat.

Later in the afternoon, the Spanish royals are scheduled to visit Badia del Vallès to mark the town's 50th anniversary.