The day Queen Elizabeth II visited Spain – controversies

It could be said that Queen Elizabeth II, despite the internal political neutrality in the United Kingdom, was not so about her foreign policy. That is why today we will know the history of Queen Elizabeth II and Spain, a relationship full of ups and downs and at the end of positive gestures…. Let’s move on.

The role of the British kings is focused on institutionalization, but also on their diplomatic role. That is why the Uk holds many nations together across the Commonwealth of Nations. And at the head of the commonwealth of nations is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

This political structure is complex and subtle. It involves the power of what is not said and what is not done. The power of gestures and wills. That is why the only visit to Spain by Queen Elizabeth II is so important in history. But there are also a couple of gestures that tarnished the relationship between Spain and England.

We can say that, although there were no open aggressions, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom knew how to win over the Spanish kingdom while keeping Spain’s claims to Gibraltar at bay.

This is the story of Queen Elizabeth II’s last and only visit to her cousins the Bourbon kings in Spain (if indeed, you didn’t read that right, the Bourbons are cousins of Queen Elizabeth II). And it is also the story of the gestures that Queen Elizabeth II had to reaffirm the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over Gibraltar.

Without further ado, let’s start fast and fast.

The visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England to Spain.

One of the things that has characterized Queen Elizabeth II has been her numerous international tours. His diplomatic role merits this and has been extremely important in keeping his allies close and his enemies at bay.

The British monarch has traveled the world to keep the Commonwealth together. Meanwhile, in turn, the queen draws new friendships and neutralizes the influence of some rulers.

Despite their family closeness to the Bourbon Kings, as they are cousins on the part of Queen Victoria II, there have always been reasons for discord. A small rock in the sea called Gibraltar has been the subject of territorial disputes between Spain and the United Kingdom.

A dispute that, as soon as the reign of Elizabeth II began, has been reaffirmed on several occasions. But we’ll talk about that a little later.

The visit of Queen Elizabeth II was part of a great international tour. But in Spain, during five days of intense work, he visited the most important Spanish cities and won the favor of the public.

Thanks to this sympathy, he was perhaps closer to the Spanish people than the Bourbon kings have been. And this always causes resentment.

The visit began on October 17, 1988, when they arrived in Madrid to begin a tour that would take them through Seville, Barcelona and Mallorca. Spaniards remember that visit with great affection and impressed by the simplicity of the ruler and her closeness.

The most interesting thing is that she has been the first and only British monarch to visit Spain. A real milestone for the monarchy of both countries.

The visit. A symbol of the change between the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom

Perhaps the visit of King Juan Carlos and Doña Sofía two years earlier softened relations and promoted this meeting. The truth is that Queen Elizabeth II recognized that her visit to Spain marked a milestone, and that Gibraltar was her only point in dispute.

A clear rapprochement after the gestures that provoked protests and differences between both monarchies. But what made the two of them distance.

The search for territorial cohesion of the United Kingdom makes it look for ways to establish its limits.

And it is that during the trip that would lead to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, he had as the last point of the tour a stop in Gibraltar. A subtle way to demonstrate their control over the small island and to reassert their dominance.

This gesture led dictator Franco to express his discontent in the media through a pseudonym (so as not to get into trouble with the royalty of England). in turn, to close expressly the Gibraltar consultation. He did so quickly so that the consuls would not retreat during the Queen’s visit. Again, gestures of dominance on the British side and gestures of submission on the part of Franco.

No doubt this made the relationship start off on the wrong foot.

An open and reopened wound between the United Kingdom and Spain

If that had been the only conflictive situation, perhaps it would not have happened to majors. But the truth is that King Juan Carlos had to refuse the invitation to the wedding between Carlos and Diana for a similar reason.

And it is that the wedding trip of these had as first destination (if as a first destination, as if it were not enough to stop there) Gibraltar. This soured relations and also became a point of friction between the two nations. Some reaffirming their dominance and others protesting it.

There is certainly no will end this ancestral conflict. But there is a will to transform the relationship between the United Kingdom and Spain.

Perhaps the visit of Juan Carlos first and then the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Spain, are a first step to transform this relationship once and for all.

Perhaps as Spain is a place of horses and Queen Elizabeth II is a lover of horses made him reconsider his position with Spain. It remains to be seen whether the successor to Queen Elizabeth II of England will maintain his timid steps.

We will see without the new King takes steps to consolidate this trend or if on the contrary he will choose to make a new snub to his cousins the Bourbons of Spain