King is forced to defend existence of Spanish monarchy

King Juan Carlos has been forced to issue an unprecedented declaration justifying the monarchy's existence in Spain after it came under attack from the political left and right.

"The parliamentary monarchy upheld by our constitution has provided the longest period of stability and prosperity that Spain has ever experienced under democracy," King Juan Carlos said in the northern city of Oviedo.

That single sentence, in a speech opening the academic year, reveals the sudden insecurity felt in the Zarzuela Palace about the monarchy's future. A recent blizzard of sniping from all quarters marks an unaccustomed setback for the Spanish royals. From the moment Juan Carlos was crowned in 1975 following the death of the dictator Francisco Franco, he, his wife, Sofia, and their three children, have enjoyed support and affection.

The present disenchantment began during the summer, when the satirical magazine El Jueves published a front-page cartoon showing the heir to the throne, Prince Felipe, having sex with his wife, Princess Letizia. The Spanish press rarely depicts the royal family in this way.

Then Catalan nationalists burnt photographs of the king and queen. And last week, Catalonia's pro-independence Republican Left party, part of the region's ruling left-wing coalition, called for the king to be stripped of his position as commander-in-chief of Spain's armed forces.

But the attacks came not just from nationalists, who have never been keen on the crown. The far right weighed in too, when Federico Jimenez Losantos, an outspoken radio commentator admired among Spanish conservatives, called on the king to abdicate in favour of his son, Felipe. Losantos made his appeal on Cope radio station, which is funded by Spanish bishops.

It looked initially as if these insults would be treated with regal indifference, but in recent days the establishment has rallied to the king's defence, making his position seem all the more vulnerable.

"The institution of the crown is consolidated, enjoys very good health, and that's the opinion of most people," the Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, said.

At the weekend, Archbishop Antonio Cañizares dissociated the Church from the comments of its own radio pundit, and urged Spaniards to pray for their king "who is being treated so badly and receiving so many insults".

The king's declaration in Oviedo highlights the perception that Spain's constitutional monarchy may be experiencing its most fragile moment since the consolidation of the post-Franco democracy.

What is remarkable is less the present scepticism, but that the restored house of Bourbon has enjoyed such popularity for so long. Spain is not really a monarchist country. In the decades before Juan Carlos was crowned, Spaniards had tossed out three monarchs and installed two republics that were crushed only by armed force. The young monarch was dubbed Juan Carlos the Brief when foisted upon a sullen nation by Franco.

But to everyone's surprise and admiration, Juan Carlos helped to dismantle Spain's authoritarian regime, and stopped a military coup attempt in 1981.

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