Save Spain’s monarchy

sir – As a Spaniard who is not a convinced monarchist but a pragmatic supporter of the monarchy’s role in terms of political stability, I found the article by Isabella Thomas (Comment, July 20) outstanding.

It spelt out the danger of attacking the monarchy mercilessly through the figure of the former King Juan Carlos, who cannot defend himself from the accusations of someone alleged to be a former mistress.

Spain faces its most daunting economic challenge ever. Not yet recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, it is assailed by a secessionist movement in Catalonia, and its young democracy, which the former king helped consolidate, has a fragile coalition government that includes a republican party.

This is a time to recognise the value of the Spanish constitutional monarchy. I wish Spanish politicians would act as Tony Blair did when the Queen misjudged Britain’s mood after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Some justice should also be done to the man himself, by weighing his services to the nation against his alleged misdemeanours or crimes, if taking the commissions of which he is accused is deemed a crime.

Throughout his reign, the former king acted as a “salesman” for Spanish enterprises in visits abroad. He closed deals that ministers could not, and on his trips captains of Spanish industry won contracts under his aegis.

Your article hinted that Juan Carlos’s supposed acceptance of commissions in later life may have had something to do with being raised in exile with meagre means. That may explain motive, but how could it have come about, if it did? One has to factor in the largesse of Gulf monarchs, who considered their Spanish peer a “brother”. The former king also kept company with businessmen who thrived on commissions paid by Spanish suppliers of public contracts with foreign clients – something perfectly legal under Spanish law. But what was legal for them was out of bounds for the monarch.

The royal house of Spain is not rich like that of Britain. It might well have struck the former king as unfair that, as royalty, he was uniquely (in his circle) unable to find ways of making money, because of his role – a role we would do well to remember now. Alvaro de la Riva

Consul General of Spain Istanbul, Turkey