Coronation day... Spanish style

As a republican I am fond of "republication" or "republishing" previously written stuff. Sorry about that.
These days they are changing the king in Spain. And that comes with a ceremony.
It has been announced it will be a modest celebration, with no foreign dignataries invited nor religious ceremony in "Los Jerónimos" church, site of weddings and funerals or the cavernous Madrid cathedral.
Back in 2008 I published here a piece around Barack Obama Inauguration that went:

"From the back of my mind, way back, come the memories of Queen Elizabeth II coronation, in June 1953. The coronation of a monarch is the type of event you might expect to see only once or twice in a lifetime. I was just a child and obviously I could only see the event in the newsreel they usually showed before the movies in all the movie theaters in Spain: the “No-Do” for “Noticiario Documental”, a compulsory francoist propaganda instrument. Those days there was no TV in Spain yet.

At home there was much talk about it, as my mother was of British ascent and anything British was of importance for the family. More over as one of my mother’s sister, Patrito and her husband Modesto traveled to London for the celebrations. My uncle Modesto had abandoned his career as a dermatologist to become sales representative of the British pharmaceutical Booths in Spain, a much more profitable job in those obscure years of Spanish autocracy.

They brought with them a few souvenirs and trinkets to share with the family. I still remember a beautifully made toy size reproduction of the Queens chariot, with the long train of horses mounted by the all dressed up equarries. The toy sat on one of the library shelves for many years after. One of my cousins who has recently moved with us, says she still has the horses, not the coach, somewhere lost in one of her still unpacked boxes.

Around those days, my English teacher, a very peculiar spinster, used to pester us with a traditional English street song that went:

Oh! on Coronation Day, on Coronation Day
We'll have a spree, a jubilee, and shout, Hip, hip, hooray
For we'll all be merry, drinking whiskey, wine and sherry,
We'll be merry on Coronation Day
the lyrics of which escaped to our then poor language understanding.

She also tried to put into our heads, without success, a Children's Prayer for The Queen on Coronation day, that I later learned had been written by Enid Blyton of “The famous five” fame.

As Queen Elizabeth is still alive and kicking and may well outlive her mother, we may not get to see another British coronation day.

In Spain, our current king Juan Carlos coronation now just 33 years ago, was a rather gloomy affair. A few days after the death of the dictator, the country was still mired by the uncertainties of a difficult political situation. I would say there were more celebrations for Franco’s death than for the king’s inauguration. Much attention was paid to the Cardinal Tarancon speech as he encouraged the new monarch to pay heed to the Spanish people claims for democracy.

By the way, the Spanish kings are not crowned. The crown is laid there in a stool and never sets on the monarch’s head.

Actually being a republican, I do not give a hoot where the damn crown sits. I would not mind it sat on the head, as long as it was possible to separate the head from the body, French style."

_____________

Well then, little to add.

XA

Pedofilia institucional

Este articulo se publicó hace unos días en la prensa local (DiariMés, 2 junio) y también en mi otro blog de Pediatria social . A riesgo de repetirme y, aunque sólo sea para dejar constancia en este otro medio, aquí lo reproduzco.

XA

Jubilacions anticipades

Aquest article va sortir ahir, dijous 11 a DiariMés, just el día que el parlament espanyol discutía la llei d'aceptació de l'abdicació del rey.

XA.

Reescribiendo la historia

Corifeos, periodistas pagados y prensa netamente monárquica llevan días, desde el anuncio de la anunciada abdicación del actual jefe del estado español, intentando reescribir la historia de los últimos cuarenta años de reinstauración de la corona española.

Los historiadores, en el futuro, lo van a tener difícil para separar el grano de la paja al evaluar el periplo del último rey Borbón.

Los esfuerzos van dedicados especialmente a loar al titular de la jefatura del estado, atribuyéndole los innegables efectos de una democracia y un desarrollo económico espectacular de los últimos cinco lustros. Con ello se pretende obviar, ocultar o minimizar que el carácter personal del señor JC Borbón por lo que ha destacado es por una serie de escándalos matrimoniales, un turbia historia de enriquecimiento y una actitud chapucera en conducir su vida personal. A ello se suma la desgraciada evolución de los matrimonios de sus hijas envueltos en toxicomanías y delincuencia económica, muy difíciles de alejar como algo ajeno a la corona. La imagen del monarca y de la monarquía está atravesando los peores momentos de su historia en cuanto a consideración popular. Todo ello ha conducido, se mire como se mire, a la abdicación del trono, en medio de una coyuntura histórica de crisis y notables tensiones sociales.

Ya hace un par de años que desde éste blog anunciábamos un final de la monarquía que pudiese estar más próximo de los que algunos piensan y desean:

http://xallue.blogspot.com.es/2011/11/delenda-est-monarchia.html

La proliferación de anécdotas nos llevó unos meses después a insistir en el tema:

http://xallue.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/reyes-elefantes-entretenidas-excusas-y.html

Ahora se pretende explicar el gesto de la abdicación como una maniobra cuidadosamente planeada durante meses y mantenida en secreto, para desencadenarla en el momento más oportuno:

http://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20140608/54409731620/capsula-secreto-abdicacion-rey.html

Pues tampoco. A Juan Carlos I de España lo ha quitado de en medio “los poderes que son” (“the powers that be”, se dice en inglés) cuando ya no había más remedio y cuando las circunstancias iban estrechando la ventana de oportunidad para algo tan trascendental como la sucesión en la jefatura del estado. El marco de la “ventana” lo ha proporcionado el resultado de las elecciones europeas del 25 de mayo y la anunciada consulta por la independencia de Cataluña el 9 de noviembre.

Las elecciones, la encuesta de las encuestas que, una vez más, ha desmentido los ejercicios demoscópicos públicos y privados, ha conformado una realidad escasamente favorable a los dos partidos hegemónicos que se han alternado en el gobierno de los últimos años. Como que unos y otros no han sido capaces de elaborar una legislación o los oportunos cambios constitucionales que dejasen clara la secuencia sucesoria, la posibilidad de que en unas elecciones generales en el futuro próximo reproduzcan los resultados de las europeas, ponía en duda la aprobación por las cortes del nuevo monarca en un futuro.

En un ambiente de “ahora o nunca” se ha elaborado una ley para cubrir la eventualidad de la abdicación deprisa y corriendo, que se aprobará por unas cortes dominadas por dos partidos mayoritarios que, a la vista de la realidad electoral, no parece que puedan contar con el respaldo del electorado que la actual composición del parlamento permite suponer.

Tal no parece un buen asiento para el heredero del trono, igualmente alabado porque “es alto, guapo, habla idiomas y está muy bien preparado”. Más o menos los mismo atributos que se le adjudicaban a su progenitor cuando el dictador lo impuso como su sucesor. Y obviamente no es garantía de que luego resultase mujeriego, económicamente turbio, depredador de fauna protegida y sinvergüenza.

No vamos desde aquí a reescribir nada. Ya los están haciendo otros. Sólo apuntar lo que percibimos, de forma selectiva, pero no por ello menos ajustada a la realidad.

The Borbon king is out

This is a transcription of emails with friends just yesterday:

1
So there.

Things seem to be moving quite rapidly. No matter what they say, I have little doubt in my mind the results of the European elections have triggered the King's decision to abdicate.

Or rather the Rajoy's government bending to indications by the powers that be (the army, the money, the church...) to force the king out, so the prince could have a possibility to reach the crown with the consent of the Spanish parliament with its current composition of a conservative majority. Something that could not be possible in a few months time.

The way the event has been presented: first a declaration of the government and then, after a long six hours with repeated postponements, the broadcasting of the previously recorded king's declaration. No mention of the king`s ill health and different ailments as having any bearing in the decision. It is then just a political one.

Some claim the Spanish people have been cheated out of an opportunity to have a more representative Parliament of the current political situation in Spain.

As for Catalonia, although some "possibilists" consider the new king could have a better understanding of the Catalan situation. I, personally, do not give a damn. That should be a problem for Spain, while Catalonia should "keep calm and keep on the path for independence".

Symbolically no Philip the VI could ever be any better than Philip the V.

And, as a pediatrician knowing the peculiarities of Biology, I cannot accept genetics should play any role in the destiny of nations.

Visca la Republica Catalana!

2

I fully agree with you. All the factors you have mentioned are very likely. Juan Carlos also needed a period of moral rehab after the Botswana debacle. The flurry of activities outside the Peninsula seemed to be orchestrated to improve his stance before abdicating. I also wonder if it became important to stop being the king  because his daughter is about to be indicted.
 I understand that, outside Catalunya and Euskadi, Felipe has a rather high approval rate. If that's what they want, fine with me.. Eventually there probably be a referendum. Let the people decide, which could not be done at the time of the Transition, as we all know.
As for Catalunya, tt is very important now to conduct all its affairs in a clean, just, calm and determined way. I understand that there is agreement in the Govern regarding a budget. This, of course, is crucial. Then a huge Diada. And then determination to move ahead with a referendum on 9-November.

Visca la Republica Catalana Independent!!!

3

I also agree with you both. May I add that in this moment I see something else; it could be very well that now will be  more feasible a Constitution reform and in this pack may go what they think may be involved : the key to re float the Catalan problem with some much broader autonomy and new  financial pact  WE should not accept that. This is just a thought

Wish everybody in Catalonia would share these views.

More to follow.