SEÑALES REALES

He has been idolised for 30 years, sailing on expensive yachts, racing motorbikes and enjoying fine living while receiving the sort of reverential treatment that Queen Elizabeth II could only imagine.

Now, however, there are signs that King Juan Carlos I of Spain is in danger of falling out with his subjects. Under mounting pressure from critics, the King has appointed an auditor to scrutinise the spending of the Royal Family – which is kept hidden from the public by law.

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This year royal sensibilities were further offended when El Jueves, a weekly satirical magazine, published a crude cartoon of the Crown Prince on its cover. It depicted the heir to the throne, Prince Felipe of Asturias, having sex with his wife, Princess Letizia, and saying: “Do you realise that if you get pregnant it will be the closest thing to work I’ve done in my life?” The drawing referred to a decision by the Government to award mothers €2,500 for each child they bear. A judge ordered all copies of the publication to be seized from newspaper kiosks and told the cartoonist to appear in court.

Insulting a member of the Royal Family or “damaging the prestige of the Crown” is a crime in Spain, punishable by up to two years in jail.

The move backfired, thrusting the relatively obscure publication into the international spotlight and sparking a nationwide debate. Copies of the magazine were offered for sale on the internet for up to €2,000. The trial is due to take place later this year, and the Royal Family is bracing itself for another round of negative publicity.
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Signos de caída de la popularidad del Rey Juan Carlos, siempre según The Times