The Last King of Spain?

A young King Juan Carlos helped steer Spain from aThe King wants to be king of all Spain, and not have
dictatorship to a modern democracy after he came todifferent regions strongly in favour of the monarchy
the throne some 32 years ago, and his achievementsand others against.
include defending the fledgling democracy in 1981 fromSpain's economy has done well under King Juan
an attempted coup.Carlos, and his intervention to prevent a coup in 1981
Once popular and regarded as a man of the people,has benefitted in particular the tourism market, with
recent times have been more troubling for the king asSpain and her islands now the destination of choice for
political groups on both the left and right have called formore Europeans than any other country when taking
an end to the Spanish monarchy.a holiday.
1981 it could be argued was the height of the King'sAnd it's not just the holidays in Majorca market where
popularity when some army officers stormed thethe royal family spend their summers that have done
Spanish Parliament. Spain had been ruled by thewell over the last twenty five years.
dictator Franco until his death in 1975, and the KingThe Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are well known
appeared on television to order the army back toas holiday destinations, and before King Juan Carlos
barracks, in the process saving the young democracyreplaced fascist leader General Franco the holidays
from returning to dictatorship.market was limited as many Europeans would not
While the royal family spend their summer holidays onholiday in Spain, knowing their tourist money would
the island of Majorca at the Marivent Royal Palacesupport an unacceptable regime, in the same way
and the rest of the year near Madrid his popularitymany people boycotted South Africa while it had
carried through to all regions of Spain.apartheid.
Recent comments from the King though have madeCheap flights to Majorca to Majorca airport from the
many Spaniards uneasy about how close he is comingUnited Kingdom for example have seen the island's
to interfering with politics, and this has not helped hiseconomy transformed. And Spanish airlines operating
popularity - although the people ofboth from the mainland capital Madrid and from
Majorca might disagree as the royal family's holidaysBarcelona have also taken advantage of the travel
give the island an upmarket image elsewhere inmarket today, with millions of Spaniards employed in
Europe, and the hotels and Majorca villa holidays travelthe airlines, hotels and holidays industries.
market have thrived in recent years.While Spain used to in the early days of her tourism
He made a surprise visit to Spanish troops inbe known as a cheap holidays destination, the country
Afghanistan just before Christmas, but controversiallyhas moved into the upmarket leisure scene too, and
visited two Spanish enclaves in Morocco which havenew hotels in Majorca are being built, one of which will
been in dispute over sovereignty since the 15thbe the best hotel in Spain.
century.Overall, Spain's economy has done well since Juan
But last year saw protestors burning photographs ofCarlos became king, the country has joined and is a
the King in the Spanish city of Girona, a sign of hisfully active member of the EU, and political parties of
declining popularity, but Spain and the wider world satdifferent persuasions have held democratically elected
up and took notice when he famously told thepower with the PSOE, Spain's Socialist Party, recently
President of Venezuela to shut up at a summit in Chile.winning the general election and entering their second
While most saluted his stand, some saw it as anotherterm in office, with all these things highly unlikely if
sign of his interference in politics, going far beyondFranco's successor had been another fascist.
what would be acceptable in other European countriesAt 70, hopefully it will be some time before the
from their respective royal families.question of a new monarch is asked. Majorca will
Cheap Majorca Flightscertainly want that!