Spanish demonstrate against king

Anti-monarchy protestors demonstrate in Madrid
14 April 2013

Thousands of people have been demonstrating against the Spanish monarchy, demanding the return of a democratically elected head of state.

The marchers thronged Puerta del Sol, a central square in Madrid, on the 82nd anniversary of the establishment of Spain's last democratically-elected republic.

Spain's former dictator general Francisco Franco appointed then Prince Juan Carlos as his successor as head of state, a job the royal took over as king upon Franco's death in 1975.

The monarchy's popularity has slumped in recent months, with the 75-year-old King Juan Carlos being criticised for going on a luxurious safari during Spain's financial crisis and a corruption scandal with links to royal family members.

"This monarchy was imposed on us by the dictatorship, therefore we consider it to be illegal," 45-year-old teacher Maria Ayuso said. "Also, we consider it anachronistic to have a non-elected head of state; it's not democratic."

For decades, the king was largely admired for having shepherded Spain from dictatorship to a modern democracy, with many citing his role in getting the participants in an attempted military coup in February 1981 to stand down peacefully as a highlight in his career.

But things began to go awry when he broke his hip while on a previously unannounced elephant hunting trip in Botswana even though it was widely known he was president of the Spanish branch of the World Wildlife Fund. The king had to be flown back to Spain aboard a private jet for hospital treatment.

Matters got worse when the king's daughter, Princess Cristina, was named as an official suspect in an alleged plot to embezzle public money.

The investigation centres on whether the 47-year-old princess' husband, Inaki Urdangarin, and his former business partner took advantage of her connections to funnel about 5 million euro (£4.26 million) in public funds, using companies and an allegedly non-profit institute they ran.

Neither Cristina nor Urdangarin have been charged, but both have been called to testify before an investigating magistrate. Urdangarin has appeared in court twice and the princess has been subpoenaed to attend, pending an appeal.

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