Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia returned to the Valencia region, where in the aftermath of the disaster they had been pelted with mud by locals angry at a lack of aid from authorities.

This time they received applause as they arrived for a mass in the cathedral in Valencia, capital city of the region worst hit by the floods on October 29.

Amid tight security, they joined relatives of some of those killed, national government ministers, mayors of towns that were hit, and regional president Carlos Mazon, fiercely criticised for his handling of the disaster.

Archbishop of Valencia Enrique Benavent in an address paid tribute to voluntary workers and people who "in the most tragic moments risked their lives to save others'".

Torrential rains on October 29 caused flash floods that killed at least 230 people, swept away cars, and wrecked homes and businesses, mainly in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast. Four people are still missing.

Popular outrage over the authorities' handling of the disaster boiled over in the ground-zero town of Paiporta on November 3 when survivors hurled mud at the king and queen as well as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The royal couple cut short that visit but were received with applause and cheers when they returned to the region on November 19.

They were applauded at Monday's mass but there were some boos and even shouts of "murderers!" in front of the cathedral as they left.

The government has scrambled to put together aid packages collectively worth 16.6 billion euros ($17.5 billion) in grants and loans to help stricken citizens.

A victims' association said in a statement that politicians should not be allowed to "launder their image" by attending Monday's mass.

Sonia Fuster, a Valencia resident who lost her father in the floods, told AFP she left the memorial early in protest of the presence of elected officials.

"It was a funeral for the families, because in my case, for example, we weren't able to have a proper funeral," she said. "It was a moment for us, the families", not for those "who let us drown".