Monarchist propaganda with the peace agreement
Every Saturday at noon, La 1 de TVE broadcasts Open hearing, a news program focusing on current affairs within the royal family. They report on the agendas of the main members of the monarchy so that citizens can see how the Crown earns its keep by attending all kinds of institutional, charitable, and business events.
In this weekend's broadcast, the program included a report on the peace and ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but from the monarchist perspective. The result was laughable because it made Felipe VI into a sort of decisive actor in the evolution and outcome of this conflict.
The presenter emphasized that it had been a historic week and gave a chronological account of the events. The report then focused on the king's role in peace in the Middle East, also looking back. "In Spain, there have been several occasions when the king has advocated for this path and called for definitive peace in this region of the Middle East," they stated. They asserted that this situation had occurred on three occasions and offered archival footage to support this claim. They cited words spoken by King Felipe VI in 2010 and others from February 2025 to emphasize that the monarch "once again defended the existence of both states and advocated for dialogue to achieve peace." The story had a certain epic boldness. They added that, more recently, in the midst of political tension to define the massacre as genocide, "the king attended the UN summit and once again demanded an immediate ceasefire." And, finally, they highlighted his latest intervention on this issue: "Last week, the king provoked applause when he expressed hope and caution in the face of what was already clear would end up being a peace agreement between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas," placing special emphasis on the audience's clapperboard. And, as if it were a direct consequence of the king's words, they added: "Four days later, an exchange of hostages took place and the agreement was finalized in Egypt in the presence of world leaders."
It is now understood that those responsible forOpen hearing They must fill the agenda of royal activities. However, what cannot be allowed is that, since they only deal with the monarchical aspect, their narrative turns the Spanish Crown into the center of the world. The hostage exchange and the peace agreement ended up seeming like the outcome of institutional pressure from Felipe VI, as if he had dedicated his entire life to the cause. Having the king as the sole protagonist creates a grotesque information bias that results in ridiculous propaganda. It's one thing to report the agenda of the Crown's commitments, and quite another to turn them into the epicenter of international news and historical events.
