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The Last King of Spain?

A young King Juan Carlos helped steer Spain from a dictatorship to a modern democracy after his arrival on the throne 32 years ago, and his achievements include defending the fledgling democracy in 1981 a coup attempt.

Once popular and regarded as a man of the people, recent times have been more troubling for the king as political groups on both right and left have called for an end to the Spanish monarchy.

1981, it could be argued was the height of the popularity of the king while some army officers stormed the Spanish Parliament. Spain had been ruled by the dictator Franco until his death in 1975, and the king appeared on television to order the military to the barracks, in the process of saving the young democracy to return to the dictatorship.

While the royal family spend their summer vacation on the island of Majorca in the Palais Royal Marivent and the rest of the year near Madrid his popularity carried through all regions of Spain.

Recent reviews of the king but have made many Spaniards uneasy about how it is coming close to interfering with politics, and it has not helped his popularity - although people of Majorca might disagree that the holidays of the royal family to give the island an upmarket image elsewhere in Europe, and the hotels and Majorca villa holidays travel market have thrived in recent years.

He made a surprise visit to Spanish troops in Afghanistan just before Christmas, but the controversy has visited two Spanish enclaves in Morocco, which were in conflict of sovereignty since the 15th century.

But last year saw protestors burning photographs of the king in the Spanish city of Girona, a sign of his declining popularity, but Spain and the world stood up and took notice when he proudly announced the President of Venezuela to shut up at a summit in Chile. While most saluted his stand, some saw it as another sign of his interference in politics goes far beyond what would be acceptable in other European countries from their royal families.

Cheap Majorca

The king wants to be the king of all Spain, and not have different regions strongly in favor of the monarchy and other cons.

The Spanish economy has done well under King Juan Carlos and his intervention to prevent a coup in 1981 has benefited in particular the tourism market, with Spain and its islands now the destination of choice for more Europeans than any other country when taking a vacation.

And it's not just the holidays in Mallorca the market where the royal family spend their summers that have done well over the last 25 years.

The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are well known as a holiday destination, and before King Juan Carlos replaced fascist leader General Franco the holidays market was limited as many Europeans would not holiday in Spain, knowing their tourist money would support a regime unacceptable to the people even many boycotted South Africa while apartheid was.

Cheap flights to Mallorca airport in the United Kingdom, for example, saw the island's economy transformed. And Spanish airlines operating both from the mainland capital Madrid and Barcelona have also taken advantage of the travel market today, with millions of Spaniards employed in airlines, hotels and holiday industry.

While Spain used at the beginning of its tourism known as a cheap vacation destination, the country entered the scene in upscale leisure too, and new hotels in Majorca are under construction, including the One will be the best hotel in Spain.

Overall, the Spanish economy has done well since Juan Carlos became king, the country has joined and is a fully active member of the EU, and political parties of different persuasions have held democratically elected power with PSOE, Spanish Socialist Party, recently won the general election and entering their second term, with all these things very unlikely if Franco's successor had been another fascist.

At 70, I hope it will be some time before the issue of a new monarch is asked. Majorca will certainly want this!

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