Speaking in Las Palmas on the eve of the 30th anniversary of his ascension to the Spanish throne, King Juan Carlos once again called for consensus and reconciliation as the "best guarantee" for continued progress, "with the efforts of everyone united in democracy and freedom."

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia awarded the 2005 Merit Gold Medals for Fine Arts at the Alfredo Kraus auditorium last night, and will attend a concert organised by the regional government of the Canary Islands at the new auditorium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife designed by Santiago Calatrava this evening.

Among last prize winners were: Brazilian singer, Caetano Veloso, author José Luis Sampedro, designer Carolina Herrero and actress, Victoria Abril.

During the king's address he emphasised how far Spain had come under 30 years of parliamentary monarchy, and stressed that the 1978 Constitution was based on the principals of consensus, harmony, and reconciliation.

Don Juan Carlos thanked Queen Sofia "for her constant support, sensitivity and commitment," without forgetting to mention the constant support he has always received from his children.

On the 30th anniversary of the start of his reign, the king said that his memories are mostly related to "the passionate adventure of building our democracy, recovering our freedom, putting Spain back where it belongs, helping to achieve stability, growth, and improving the economy and the standard of living of the vast majority of the Spanish people."