‘We, who are as good as you, swear to you, who are no better than us, to accept you as our king and sovereign lord, provided you observe all our laws and liberties; but if not, not.’
This famous oath of allegiance, sworn hundreds of years ago by the noblemen of Aragon in northern Spain to their king, also neatly expresses the transactional attitude of many contemporary Spaniards to their monarchy. They were willing to accept the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty as part of the post-Franco democratic settlement provided the king deserved their loyalty – but if not, not.
And for many, the alleged misdemeanours (personal and financial) of ex-King Juan Carlos mean that he broke that covenant and so forfeited his right to their loyalty. Trust in the monarchy – as high as 75 per cent in 1995 – fell to 37 per cent in 2013. So it came as no surprise when in 2014, after reigning for 38 years, Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, Felipe.
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