Editorial/Opinion
Royal separation keeps the King in the headlines in Spain
By h.b. - Nov 14, 2007 - 1:08 AM
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
Although the Zarzuela Palace has made it clear that the Duke and Duchess of Lugo are not going to divorce, the official announcement of their separation will come as a disappointment to both King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía.
The Spanish gossip press has been mentioning rumours of problems between the Infanta Elena and Jaime de Marichalar for some time.
The couple has been married for twelve years and have two children, Felipe aged 9 and Victoria aged 7.
It seems the decision to separate was taken by Elena and the official statement says the couple wants some time apart to think.
It’s understood that she has already moved back to the couple’s previous home.
Such a separation has no legal consequences for now, and Spanish royal watchers doubt that the separation will end in any formal divorce. As far as the custody of the children is concerned, it’s expected that the couple will reach a friendly out of court agreement.
The news comes at a time when, for the first time, the Spanish Royal Family has seen some open criticism in the media. The burning of photos of the King Juan Carlos by Catalan Nationalists made the headlines last month, and only yesterday two cartoonists from the El Jueves satirical magazine were fined for insulting the royal family on one of their covers. That case opened a debate about the right to free expression versus insults made to the Royal family.
And the entire Latin American continent is still talking about the King’s behaviour and Juan Carlos’ comments at the Ibero-American summit in Chile. It seems the words he used to Hugo Chaves, telling him to ‘shut up’ are set to be a new catchphrase in the country.
That last incident seems, if anything, to have increased the King’s popularity, even among republicans in Spain, and it now remains to be seen how the Spanish people react to this latest news from the Borbon family.