KING Felipe VI's annual Christmas Eve speech once again included a covert appeal to secessionist politicians, as well as raising concerns about young adults' struggle to afford housing and violence against women.
King Juan Carlos 'hurt, irritated and disbelieving' at his exclusion from 40th anniversary of democracy celebrations
02/07/2017
RETIRED King Juan Carlos I says he feels 'hurt' and 'irritated' at not having been invited to the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Spain's first-ever democratic elections.
The abdicated monarch, father of the current reigning King Felipe VI, attended the speeches given by his son and by chair of the Lower Chamber Ana Pastor, in Parliament, but did not go to the tribute staged for the 'convening of the courts', or constitution of an elected Parliament, which first took place in June 1977, as he was not invited.
The Rex Emeritus' official version was that he did not want to steal his son's thunder, but sources from the Zarzuela Palace – the main Royal residence – said that he was very upset.
In fact, he had even booked the week off in advance, since he was convinced he would be asked along, given his key role in restoring democracy and 'repairing' the country politically after dictator General Franco retired a year before his death.
Juan Carlos I was still on the throne during the 30th anniversary celebrations in 2007, and went along with his wife, Queen Sofía, but they were not present during the proclamation of Felipe VI as King on June 19, 2014, nor at the session called for the opening of the new term of presidential office on November 17 last year, both of which Felipe VI himself presided as new Head of State.
“The retired monarch feels very hurt, because he considers that he was one of the main players in the Transition to Democracy and he is having trouble accepting the fact that he was not included in the solemn ceremony to mark its anniversary,” sources close to Juan Carlos I say.
“He accepts that it was a decision relating to State protocol, but with gritted teeth.
“We all believe they should have found a place for him at the ceremony which did not put his son in the shade.”
King Juan Carlos I apparently watched 'part of' the ceremony on TV, and told his closest circle of his 'disbelief' and 'irritation' at not having been summoned to take part.
The Royal Household argues that the 'guest list' had to be 'adapted to the format decided by Parliament', but that the abdicated king would have been invited 'if the ceremony had been held in the Hall of Lost Steps (Salón de Pasos Perdidos)', and that Queen Sofía would also have been asked to attend.
Felipe VI did, however, credit his father during his speech, recalling the former king's exact words when he constituted Parliament for the first time on July 22, 1977, a month after the first elections of the post-Franco era.
“Democracy has begun. Now, our job is to strengthen it,” Juan Carlos I said at the time, 40 years ago.
Felipe VI gave thanks to 'the entire generation who paved the way to democracy', to whom he proffered his 'deepest gratitude, homage and admiration'.
Ana Pastor also credited King Juan Carlos, saying his name would always be linked to the word 'democracy' in Spain.
Her words gained the applause of most of Parliament, with the exception of the MPs for Unidos Podemos, who are pro-Republicans and consider Heads of State should be elected by the people.
This said, the anti-monarchy sentiments of Spain's left mainly come from a younger generation who were either not yet born, or were very young children, at the time of Franco's death and have no personal experience of the ground-breaking freedom that came with the end of the long-running dictatorship they had been living through since the Civil War.
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RETIRED King Juan Carlos I says he feels 'hurt' and 'irritated' at not having been invited to the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Spain's first-ever democratic elections.
The abdicated monarch, father of the current reigning King Felipe VI, attended the speeches given by his son and by chair of the Lower Chamber Ana Pastor, in Parliament, but did not go to the tribute staged for the 'convening of the courts', or constitution of an elected Parliament, which first took place in June 1977, as he was not invited.
The Rex Emeritus' official version was that he did not want to steal his son's thunder, but sources from the Zarzuela Palace – the main Royal residence – said that he was very upset.
In fact, he had even booked the week off in advance, since he was convinced he would be asked along, given his key role in restoring democracy and 'repairing' the country politically after dictator General Franco retired a year before his death.
Juan Carlos I was still on the throne during the 30th anniversary celebrations in 2007, and went along with his wife, Queen Sofía, but they were not present during the proclamation of Felipe VI as King on June 19, 2014, nor at the session called for the opening of the new term of presidential office on November 17 last year, both of which Felipe VI himself presided as new Head of State.
“The retired monarch feels very hurt, because he considers that he was one of the main players in the Transition to Democracy and he is having trouble accepting the fact that he was not included in the solemn ceremony to mark its anniversary,” sources close to Juan Carlos I say.
“He accepts that it was a decision relating to State protocol, but with gritted teeth.
“We all believe they should have found a place for him at the ceremony which did not put his son in the shade.”
King Juan Carlos I apparently watched 'part of' the ceremony on TV, and told his closest circle of his 'disbelief' and 'irritation' at not having been summoned to take part.
The Royal Household argues that the 'guest list' had to be 'adapted to the format decided by Parliament', but that the abdicated king would have been invited 'if the ceremony had been held in the Hall of Lost Steps (Salón de Pasos Perdidos)', and that Queen Sofía would also have been asked to attend.
Felipe VI did, however, credit his father during his speech, recalling the former king's exact words when he constituted Parliament for the first time on July 22, 1977, a month after the first elections of the post-Franco era.
“Democracy has begun. Now, our job is to strengthen it,” Juan Carlos I said at the time, 40 years ago.
Felipe VI gave thanks to 'the entire generation who paved the way to democracy', to whom he proffered his 'deepest gratitude, homage and admiration'.
Ana Pastor also credited King Juan Carlos, saying his name would always be linked to the word 'democracy' in Spain.
Her words gained the applause of most of Parliament, with the exception of the MPs for Unidos Podemos, who are pro-Republicans and consider Heads of State should be elected by the people.
This said, the anti-monarchy sentiments of Spain's left mainly come from a younger generation who were either not yet born, or were very young children, at the time of Franco's death and have no personal experience of the ground-breaking freedom that came with the end of the long-running dictatorship they had been living through since the Civil War.
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