Spanish royals announce separation

Duke and Duchess of Lugo have separated.

The Spanish royal family continues to dominate headline news in Spain for one reason or another and yesterday the Palace confirmed what has infact been a rumour for years, that their eldest daughter, Elena, Duchess of Lugo, and her husband Jaime de Marichalar had decided to separate or, in the words of the announcement "have agreed to temporarily end their matrimonial life". The Zarzuela said there would be no further official announcement.

The couple have been married for 12 years and have two children. After months of speculation, the Duchess of Lugo and her children finally moved out of the home in the exclusive Salamanca area of Madrid yesterday to a nearby address. The Duke of Lugo is expected to retain his title and there appear to be no immediate plans to formalise the separation.

Elena is fourth in the line to the Spanish throne, after her younger brother, Felipe, Prince of Asturias, and his two daughters, Leonor and Sofia.

Spanish King asks Hugo Chavez to shut up

During the closing session of the 12th Summit of Iberoamerican Leaders and Heads of State held in Chile King Juan Carlos caused a diplomatic incident when he lent over and said to Hugo Chavez "Por qué no te callas" (Why don't you shut up?) when the Venezuelan president kept trying to interrupt Spanish president José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (see below - click twice to see video):

The incident occured when Zapatero responded to Chavez's description of former Spanish PM José Maria Aznar. The Venezuelan president called Aznar a "fascist" and said he was "less human than a tiger or a snake". Zapatero was given the chance to reply and he reminded Chavez that when democratic governments meet to discuss their interests and differences, the underlying principle was always respect. "It is possible to be on opposite sides as far as ideology is concerned, and I am certainly nowhere near the ideas of Aznar, but he was elected by the Spanish voters, and I demand respect" he said.

While Zapatero was talking, Chavez kept interrupting him, even though his microphone was switched off. King Juan Carlos finally lost his temper and invited the Venezuelan leader to shut up. He then left the session in protest while Rodriguez Zapatero stayed in his seat to address any possible further comments. Juan Carlos returned, at the Chilean president's request, for the final part of the closing session.

After the incident Hugo Chavez said he stood by what he had said about Aznar, and he questioned Juan Carlos's attitude. "He may be a king, but he can't shut me up", he said. "We are both heads of state, the only difference is that I have been democratically elected three times" he said.

Aznar reportedly telephoned both Zapatero and the King after the Summit, to express his gratitude.

Spanish King and Queen visit Ceuta and Melilla

The King and Queen of Spain visited Ceuta and Melilla on Monday and Tuesday of this week in the first visit by ruling Spanish monarchs to the colonies in northern Africa since before Franco. Morocco disputes the right of Spain to govern both Ceuta and Melilla, in much the same way as Spain disputes British sovereignty of Gibraltar. The Spanish royals were acclaimed in a flurry of flags and patriotism by over half of both provinces' populations while protests organized by Moroccans (who regarded the visit as highly provocative) forced gates on the road at the border between Morocco and Melilla to be closed.

King of Morocco calls Spanish Royal Visit to Ceuta and Melilla regrettable

In his speech to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the ‘Green March’ the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, spoke mainly about the negotiations over Western Sahara which was annexed by Morocco in 1975. He said that Morocco wouldn’t accept anything other than complete autonomy for this area.

However, in a communication to the press made earlier Mohamed VI criticised the Spanish royal visit to Ceuta and Melilla calling it a ‘step backwards’ and an ‘attack on the patriotic feelings of the citizens of Morocco’. He said that the Spanish authorities needed to take responsibility for the consequences of the visit which could endanger the future evolution of relations between Spain and Morocco.

Mohamed VI also said that the visit constituted ‘a flagrant lack of respect by the Spanish government’ and went against the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed by both countries in 1991. The Moroccan king pointed out that the best way to resolve the ‘territorial conflict’ over Ceuta and Melilla was to establish ‘an honest, frank and open dialogue on the future’. The king added that a ‘responsible dialogue would guarantee our rights of sovereignty and would also take into account Spanish interests’.

Monarchy in Spain

As the monarchy becomes subject to increased criticisim in Spain, King Juan Carlos I defends his role in Spanish democracy.

King Juan Carlos I used his speech at the opening of the academic year at the University of Oviedo to defend the monarchy saying that "parliamentary monarchy that supports the constitution has provided the country with the longest period of stability and prosperity in Spanish history".

His words are particularly poignant as two Spanish citizens, Jaume Roura Carellas and Enric Stern, have been charged with ‘seriously insulting the monarchy’ by Santiago Pedraz, a Spanish High Court judge, following their participation in a protest against the monarchy on 13th September in Gerona. This protest was timed to take place just before a planned official visit by the monarchy to the city. The two are accused of taking part in an act in which a photos of the Spanish king and queen were burned as part of the demonstration. Insulting the monarchy is a crime according to the Spanish constitution.

The judge, Grande-Marlaska has also summoned nine other people to court next Thursday for their part in a second demonstration in support of the first in which photos were also burnt.
A further demonstration took place in Manresa, Barcelona, last Saturday supporting those who have been charged over the last few days for burning photos of the Spanish king and queen. In this demonstration around 60 people burnt small photos of the king and queen as a way of showing solidarity with those accused of the same crime.

The demonstration last Saturday passed off peacefully without incidents or arrests. According to the Catalan police it didn’t last very long and the demonstrators who were carrying placards against the monarchy with pro-Catalan independence slogans dispersed as soon as it was over.

Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska has ordered the photographer who took photos of demonstrators burning photos of the monarchy in the original demonstration in Gerona to hand over his film to the courts. Although the photographer, Jordi Ribot, refused at first saying ‘he didn’t work for the police’, he consented to the judge’s request when he was called to appear in court.

Yesterday the Catalan police removed an explosive artefact which had been placed outside the headquarters of the ICV party in Barcelona. This incident is believed to be connected to the anti-monarchy protests currently taking place in Catalonia because Joan Saura who is a member of ICV is the Interior Minister for Catalonia and is in charge of the Catalan Police. So far no one has come forward to claim responsibility.

Princess Letizia pregnant again

The Spanish King and Queen yesterday confirmed that Princess Letizia, wife of Felipe, heir to the throne, is 2 months into her second pregnancy. Letizia gave birth to a girl, Leonar, last year.

The Royal Family usually wait three months to announce pregnancies, but this time decided to end speculation with a short text message which was sent from the Palace to the mobile phones of the Spanish reporters who usually cover Royal news and events. It is not the first time the Palace has used this method to inform the Spanish media of news.

When Leonor was born last year, the Socialist government confirmed their intention to modify the article of the Spanish constitution referring to succession to the Spanish throne from male-preference primogeniture in favor of lineal primogeniture. This was a policy which figured in the Socialist Party's election manifesto.

If the modification is not pushed through in the next seven months, when the baby is born if it is a boy in theory he will be the second heir to the throne, after his father Prince Felipe.

Related:
Pregnant in Spain
First photo of Princess Leonor
Royal pregnancy raises questions about Spanish constitution
Ths Spanish Royal Family
Royal wedding in Spain
Palaces in Madrid

Prince Asturias Prize 2006

Mary Robinson awarded Prince Asturias Prize

The former President of Ireland has become the first ever woman to be awarded the prestigious Principe de Asturias prize for Social Sciences. During the ceremony, the jury underlined the “moral fibre” of Mary Robinson and her firm commitment to the defense of human rights.

Mary Robinson attended the award ceremony accompanied by British sociologist Sir Ralf Dahrendorf, US economist Paul Anthony Samuelson and former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan.

The jury underlined Robinson’s commitment to the “most noble” values, and her life-long dedication to attempting to overcome the many barriers that prevent so many men and women from enjoying full human rights. The jury also mentioned Robinson’s efforts to achieve balanced international relations and introduce human values into a globalised world, by offering her unconformist, brave and wide-reaching voice to people who have no voice or cannot make themselves heard.

Mary Robinson served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002 and is currently Honorary President of Oxfam. She joins the growing list of other 2006 Asturias prize-winners. So far this year the following people or institutions have received the recognition of the Asturias Prize jury, chaired by Prince Felipe:

• National Geographic (Prize for Communication and Humanities)
• Bill and Melinda Gates (Prize for International Cooperation)
• Pedro Almodovar (Prize for Arts)
• Juan Ignacio Cruz (Technical and Scientific Research) and
• Paul Auster (Literature).

Photo of Spain's baby Princess Leonor

This is the first public photo of Princess Leonor, future queen of Spain, taken as her mother carried her out of the Ruber International Clinic this morning after a week in hospital.

Hundreds of photographers waited all morning to get their first camera shot of the baby since she was born last week. It is also the first time her mother, Letizia has made an appearance before the press since the birth. She has stayed in the rooms made available for her and her family in the Clinic all week, accompanied day and night by Prince Felipe and most of the time by her mother too. Queen Sofia has visited most days and is said to carry her new grandaughter's photo on her mobile phone. On Saturday she and Letizia's mother and grandparents spent the whole day in the Clinic. Yesterday was the first day since the birth that the royal couple and their new baby received no visits.

Meanwhile Leonor's arrival has speeded up the long awaited constitutional change in Spain to allow female royal descendents the same hereditary rights as males. The Spanish vice-president confirmed last Friday that the Socialist Government intends to initiate the process necessary to modify the article referring to succession to the Spanish throne from male-preference primogeniture in favor of lineal primogeniture. The Popular Party also supports the proposed change.

Meanwhile the latest public opinion poll carried out by Cadena Ser today confirms the current crisis of the Socialist government. Support has slidden down to an all-time low, and according to the results of the pulsometro poll, if elections were held today the Socialists would not win a majority nor have enough support to form a government. The PSOE party has a lead of just half a point over the Popular Party, and since the parliamentary debate on the Catalan Statute last week, the popularity of Rodriguez Zapatero has fallen by 4 points whereas that of Mariano Rajoy, leader of the opposition, has risen by the same number.

The past few months have been the worst of this government, and with unemployment rising, the intensity of strikes increasing (the miners have been on strike for the past week, following damaging strikes by the fishing and transport industries in October), the issue of the Catalan statute unlikely to go away, and the drought in Spain where government policies on water administration have divided regions and public opinion, things are not likely to get better in the short term unless their is a change in the socialist government's style, personalities and policies.

Princess Letizia gives birth to a girl

The future queen of Spain gave birth to her first child in the early hours this morning. The baby is a girl and is called Leonor.

Letizia arrived at Madrid's Ruber hospital last night accompanied by Prince Felipe and a crowd of journalists started to gather at the gates. It was the second time she had attended the clinic with contractions. Just after midnight the Zarzuela Palace sent mobile phone text messages to the journalists waiting outside saying that the Princess had been admitted into the hospital in order to give birth.

An hour or so later, Prince Felipe appeared to thank the journalists for waiting in the cold rain and to announce the birth by cesarean section of their baby daughter, Leonor. He said that his wife had been conscious throughout the birth, and he had been at her side, that mother and daughter were both well, and that he and Letizia were radiant with happiness.

The fact that the royal couple's first child is a girl is bound to reopen the debate about a possible change in the Spanish constitution regarding succession rights. At it stands now, succession to the Spanish Throne is set out according to the rules of male-preference primogeniture. But this is generally accepted as being out-dated and most Spaniards would probably support a change in the constitution in favour of lineal primogeniture (inheritance by the oldest surviving child without regard to gender). The Socialist government included such a change in its electoral manifesto, although of course the whole debate about constitutional change in Spain at the moment is dominated by the Catalan issue.

Royal pregnancy raises questions about reform of Spanish monarchy

After weeks of speculation in the Spanish press about a possible royal pregnancy, the Spanish Palace finally confirmed yesterday the news that the Spanish heirs to the throne were expecting their first baby which will be born in November.

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia are in Mallorca this week on an official visit, and they could hardly help giggling infront of reporters today as the media presence reflected the excitement caused by the news.

When asked whether they preferred a girl or boy, Prince Felipe (rather predictably) said they didn't care at all and just wanted a healthy baby. He also took advantage of the question to say that it was much too early to start thinking about the constitutional reform planned by Spain's Socialist Government because, in his words, "a whole generation, represented by myself and Princess Letizia, stands between now and any future reforms, so there is no rush".

The Socialist government plans to end the tradition which gives males preference to females over the right of succession to the throne.

The Socialist Party's spokesman was also asked about the possibility of speeding up monarchy reform because of the news of the pregnancy. Jose Blanco replied that while the Government does indeed intend to reform the Spanish constitution so that royal females have the same rights as heir to the throne as males, they intend to keep to their planned timetable and have no intention of accelerating reform just because of the Princess's pregnancy.

Royal wedding in Spain - the day after.

El Pais publishes an interesting editorial today about, inevitably, yesterday's royal wedding in Madrid. Of course all the Spanish media offer special editions today with photos and news of Prince Felipe's marriage to Letizia, now Princess Letizia, but the editorial of El Pais looks at it from a slightly different angle and talks about this being Spain's first democratic royal wedding.

El Pais remembers that yesterday was the first time since Juan Carlos became Head of State of Spain 30 years ago, that the Spanish monarchy was the centre of attention of the whole country because of who they are rather than what they represent constitutionally. As El Pais points out, the King and Queen of Spain have managed over the past 30 years to win the respect of most democrats in Spain and their popularity is reflected in the fact that most people in Spain would say they live in a democracy rather than under a monarchy. Even republican and separatist politicians respect the King, inspite of their differences, and have never refused to make the traditional visit to the Palace after elections when political parties who have won seats in the Spanish parliament are expected to present their policies to the King. Yesterday, and in the weeks leading up to the royal wedding, some republican criticisms of the cost of the celebrations and the disruption caused in Madrid by the event were expressed in the media and on websites, but it never turned into the big "monarchy si, monarchy no" debate it might have done given the diversity of Spain and the fact that the country was a Republic until relatively recently.

As El Pais points out, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia will have a very difficult job in achieving the same degree of popular and political support enjoyed by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, but it is an achievement they will have to aspire to if they are to further consolidate the monarchic system in Spain and keep Republican demands at bay. Yesterday's wedding was very different from the weddings of the Prince's two sisters, in the pomp, the guests and the protocol. The Socialist Government has announced that in its plans for constitutional reform, it wants to include a change in the Spanish laws of succession so that females as well as males can be heirs to the throne.

The Palace wanted to convey that this was the wedding of Spain's heir to the throne, and they certainly managed that. The Royal Family also tried to tone down the ceremony out of respect for the victims of the 11-M terrorist attack in Madrid, and they managed that too. The main critics of the celebrations have come from the gossip side of the media (publications and programmes featuring news about famous people are very very popular in Spain). Commentators working for this kind of media have criticised how serious and tense Letizia was yesterday, how there was a somber feeling about the whole thing (made worse by the weather), how not as many people as expected lined the streets, how the dress wasn't romantic enough and how the couple did not express their joy as openly as they should have (i.e. the kiss wasn't long enough and they didn't cry with emotion).

El Pais puts the wedding into a political and historical perspective. It applauds the Crown's organization of the event in difficult circumstances, welcomes the fact that room was found for representatives of all Spain's parliamentary groups to participate in the event and thinks that the image Madrid gave yesterday to the rest of the world is exactly the one Spain needed to give. The editorial concludes by saying that yesterday's wedding, far from just being yet another social occasion for the gossip media to feed on, should be regarded as a further example of the stability and longevity of the Spain's democratic system.

The couple start their honeymoon in Cuenca.

Photos and onlince video of the royal wedding.

Video of the Royal Wedding in Spain

El Pais online newspaper is offering live coverage of the royal wedding via Internet. Non-subscribers can access the video of the wedding between Prince Felipe and Letizia here.....

Later on in the evening, the ceremony and celebrations are over and although the weather dampened celebrations in Madrid, the overall feeling among comentators seems to be that the wedding, the dress, the protocol, and the organization have been a success. Cadena Ser offers this link to a video of the best moments of the royal wedding in Spain.

The Royal Wedding ceremony has begun - Prince Felipe and Letizia are in the Cathedral

The royal wedding is under way under torrential rain in Madrid. Here is a picture of Letizia's dress.





And here is a picture of Prince Felipe and Letizia at the altar (they haven't said "I do" yet)

Royal wedding in Spain

As media excitement reaches fever-pitch here in Spain, and more and more space and time is dedicated to the imminent royal wedding, it gets more and more difficult to find an alternative news story, that is a story relevant to current affairs and life in Spain. All headlines this morning in Spain are dominated by international events, namely yesterday's two major horrors in the Middle East - Israel's apalling missile attack on a peaceful demostration in Gaza, and the massacre of about 40 civils attending a wedding in Iraq by US military forces. The royal wedding is, rightly, put into perspective when flanked by tragic events such as these on the international scene. Nevertheless the wedding ceremony of Prince Felipe and Letizia is increasingly the big domestic news story at the moment here in Spain.

We arrived in Madrid yesterday and the whole city is busy preparing for Saturday's wedding. All the trees in the centre have been pruned, flowers line the clean streets, lights are everywhere... Madrid always looks pretty in May, but this Spring it has entered into wedding-mode with typical Spanish enthusiasm, and it is obvious that the authorities have spent alot of money on making the city look its best. On some streets you can find descrete notices addressed to the Madrilenyos (residents of Madrid) from the municipal authorities, inviting everyone to enjoy the celebrations and to help to show Madrid's best side to the rest of the World.

At night time in the centre the streets fill up with people eager to see the special "wedding lights" and laser displays which have been installed around Cibeles and Alcala. Yesterday at midnight the streets were as crowded with cars and people as they usually are at midday on a typical weekday - at half past eleven p.m. the traffic on the wide Paseo de la Castellana avenue was at a complete standstill. The extra security measures which have been taken are also evident. Police seem to be everywhere, and the US embassy in particular is like a military bunker, surrounded by barriers, tanks and military police. Today police are going to remove all rubbish bins lining the streets near the wedding area, as an extra security measure. As from tomorrow more streets will be cordoned off, and on Saturday all metro stations near the Almudena Cathedral will be closed all day.

Most Spaniards are proud of their royal family, if anything even more so since the 11-M Madrid train bombings when all members of the family openly joined victims families in their grief, not only during the state mass held for them, but also in hospitals where victims recovered in the days and weeks after the attack.

El Mundo publishes a list of guests due to arrive today and tomorrow (together with airport and time of arrival). The list includes: Nelson Mandela and his wife (!!), Prince Naruhito de Japon, The Sha and Shahbanou of Iran, the Presidents of El Salvador, of Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. Vaclav Havel ex-President of the Czech Republic, the Queen of Jordan, the wives of various presidents and prime ministers, the president of the World Bank, the kings, queens, princes and princesses of Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark and numerous other princes and princesses from small European and Arab countries. Apparantly the British authorities have still not confirmed the time of Prince Charles' arrival.

Royal wedding in Spain - one week to go

Royal-fever is starting to catch on here in as the wedding between Prince Felipe and Letizia nears. Security in Spain is tightening up because of possible terrorist threats and one of the measures announced by the Government is to suspend as from today Spains participation in the Schengen Agreement. This agreement allows nationals from the following countries to move freely from one country to another, without having to produce identification on arrival at airports: Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Island. From today however, and until 24th May, people travelling between these countries will be required by Spanish authorities to carry an ID card or a passport. Also, no light aircraft will be allowed to fly over Madrid from the evening of 21st May to the evening of 22nd May.



Yesterday Letizia and Felipe attended the royal wedding in Denmark and the Spanish media examined from every angle possible Letizia's first appearance in a royal event (see photo above). As always, she showed herself to be very confident infront of the camaras (she used to be a television reporter and a news reader) and the Spanish commentators seemed very satisfied with her performance.

According to TeleCinco, the wedding in Madrid is expected to cost about 5 million euros (including the cost of repairs to the Almudena Cathedral where the ceremony is to be held, security measures and the cost of sprucing Madrid up for the event). This figure does not include the cost of wine and cava which is a gift from the bodegas, or the lunch which will be paid for by the royal family. The evening before the wedding, two of Spain's most famous chefs, Ferran Adria (to translate webpages from Spanish to English use one of these automatic translators) and Arzak whose respective restaurants are considered to be the best and second-best in Spain, will serve a dinner to guests.

The weather in Spain is still quite unstable and experts say it may well be cloudy with showers next Saturday in Madrid.

22.05.2004: They got married today. See photos here and video here.

King refers to the possibility of constitutional reform in Spain

In the official opening ceremony of the legislature, King Juan Carlos of Spain has referred to one of the debates which has deeply divided Spanish political parties over the past couple of years - constitutional reform.

One of the features of the Popular Party government, especially during their second mandate when they had an absolute majority in parliament and didn't need the support of regional parties to pass their policies, was the impact their very centralised approach to government had on the electoral results of regional political parties. Paradoxically, the more the Popular Party refused to seek consensus on regional issues, and insisted on the necessity for the existence of a strong central Government to combat regional aspirations, the more successful the results of regional parties at local elections, notably in the Basque Region and Catalunya. In the last regional elections, the PNV (Nationalist Basque Party) won its greatest ever majority as its separatist demands grew more ambitious and relations with the PP Government in Madrid reached an all time low. Furthermore, just last year, the Socialists took control of the Catalonian Regional Government thanks to the excellent results of the left wing regionalist party ERC who more than doubled their seats from 11 to 23 and, together with another minority party, formed a coalition government with the Socialists. It is not the first time regional parties have shared power with national parties in Spain. Different PSOE and PP governments have depended on the support of the Catalan CIU party and/or the Basque PNV party to govern in the past.

However this time, the PP party (who obtained one of their worst ever results in Catalonia) criticised the pact between PSOE and ERC, because it was made on the understanding that the new Catalonian Government would push for constitutional reform to gain greater autonomic powers. Zapatero attended an electoral meeting during the campaign in Catalonia, and promised that if he won the general elections this year, he would address the question of constitutional reform. This provided the Popular Party with one of their main lines of attack during this year's election campaign. They said that the constitution should not be modified to allow some regions to have greater federal powers, and claimed that the Spanish nation would be under threat if the Socialists won the elections.

So, it is very significative that King Juan Carlos mentioned possible constitutional reform during his speech this morning and the headlines of the digital versions of Spanish newspapers and news radio all echo his comments. In quite a courageous speech, the King of Spain touched on all the issues dominating Spanish politics at the moment. He said that any constitutional reform should be made with the same kind of consensus achieved when the present Spanish Constitution was drawn up during Spain's transition to democracy. He also said that Spain's national security depends increasingly on Spanish foreign policy ande stressed the importance of Spain's relationship with Latin America and Europe. He also mentioned the importance of maintaining "transatlantic links".

Spain's Royal Family

All news bulletins last night and all Spanish newspapers this morning acknowledge the role of the King and Queen of Spain in the mass held in Madrid yesterday for the victims of the Madrid bombing and indeed throughout the last two weeks. The Spanish royal family is quite unique in the way they are respected and loved by their population, and when you see them act as they did yesterday, and in fact as they have done throughout the past two weeks, it is easy to see why.

King Juan Carlos played a fundamental role in Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy in reconciling the Spanish military and different political parties, and providing Spain with a figure of authority who firmly supported the creation of a democratic Spanish State. When Spain suffered its coup d'etat in 1981 and the military held government leaders hostage in the parliament, King Juan Carlos addressed the nation on television and radio, assuring Spanish people that the coup would fail and democracy would prevail, and ordering the Spanish military supporting the coup to surrender their arms and respect the constitution. He also played a key role in setting up an emergency substitute constitutional government until the political leaders were released by the military.

More recently, on the same day of the terrorist attacks, the King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, Prince Felipe and his fiance Letizia all visited victims in the hospitals. They, and the princesses (who both work) have returned to the hospitals various times since, often without the press being told beforehand, according to witnesses, as well as chatting to patients, hospital staff and families, the King has even encouraged and helped victims to stand up and start walking again. In his speech to the nation on the day of the terrorist attack, the King was the only political leader who declined to name ETA as the perpetrator of the attacks.
The Prince and his fiance have cancelled all parties and firework displays scheduled to precede and follow their wedding in May, and have said that all the money that was going to be spent on these festivities will go to the victims families fund. Yesterday after the mass, the King ignored protocol and instead of walking out of the cathedral after the blessing, he and the Queen, followed by the other members of their family, greeted the victims family members one by one for over half an hour, offering their best wishes and commiserations and sharing in their grief. All members of the Royal family wept with the families. Even if you have your reservations about monarchies in general, especially given the behaviour and distant attitudes of some royal families across Europe, you cannot deny the ability of the Spanish Royal Family to get involved in national events and to succeed in getting close to the people and being respected by the vast majority of Spaniards.