It was July 26, 1999, and Juan Carlos I could not hold back his tears: he was in a prominent place, according to the chronicles of that time, in the procession that was saying goodbye to the King of Morocco, Hassan II. The Spanish monarch was thus bidding farewell to a person dear to him beyond the diplomatic relationship that existed between Spain and Morocco at that time, he was saying goodbye to an "older brother." That is why he said to Mohammed VI: "Now I am your older brother." This bond, which helped to refine the relationship between Madrid and Rabat on many occasions, has it been maintained with King Felipe VI? What has changed now? What effect could the current monarch's visit to Ceuta, which Pedro Sánchez has announced, have? Figures who have experienced Spain-Morocco relations firsthand and experts in the field explain it to ARA.

The oldest monarch in Europe, Harald V of Norway, has died at the age of 89. Harald V was admitted last Monday to Oslo National Hospital to be treated for a bacterial infection. The Norwegian king had been suffering for a long time from hemolytic anemia, a blood disease that accelerates the destruction of red blood cells. The monarch's health had worsened considerably in recent years: he was already hospitalized in February in Tenerife during a vacation with Queen Sonja for a leg infection and dehydration. He was also admitted to a hospital in Malaysia in 2024 due to an infection. Prince Haakon Magnus will be the new king of Norway, a position he has already held on several occasions as regent due to his father's poor health.

The recent squabbles and tensions between the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and King Felipe VI, have once again put the complex coexistence between the Head of State and the executive under the spotlight. This is not a new phenomenon. Historian Charles Powell recalled how the former President of the Spanish Government, José María Aznar, deliberately sidelined the emeritus King Juan Carlos I during state visits of great international relevance, generating enormous suspicion at the Zarzuela Palace. These frictions highlight an unavoidable reality of the Spanish political system: theoretically, the monarch and the President of the Government must get along by force, as practically no act of the King is valid without the executive's approval.

The criticisms of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, towards King Felipe VI for having taken a photograph with the far-right agitator Javier Negre are unusual because the PSOE's usual stance is not to question the monarchy. Pedro Sánchez's government has never wanted to open the Pandora's box of the monarchy or republic debate, and it has been more than ten years since the Sociological Research Center (CIS) – chaired for eight years by the socialist José Félix Tezanos – has asked about the institution.

Since there has been a coalition government in Spain, criticisms from Sumar ministers against the king have occurred to the point where they are now part of normality, as are walkouts at official royal house events. However, this is not the case with socialist ministers. In fact, the socialist part of the state government has always staunchly defended the head of state, even against criticisms from the right and far-right regarding certain speeches or actions, taking into account that everything Felipe VI does must be endorsed by the Spanish government. Nevertheless, this week a sudden crisis has emerged between the Spanish government and the Crown that represents a plot twist, following a harsh criticism from a socialist minister like Óscar Puente, one of the main escorts of the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, over a recent photograph of the king with the far-right agitator Javier Negre in Colombia, within the framework of the investiture of the new leader, Abelardo de la Espriella.

The hope for a better future for Thailand's monarchy has been dashed with the death of Princess Bha, the eldest daughter of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Popularly known as Bha, the Princess of Thailand has died after nearly four years in a coma due to a bacterium that caused her heart problems and multiple infections in various organs. According to the royal house, Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati died this Thursday at the age of 47. Her death raises questions about the succession to the throne, a delicate issue in Thailand, as Bha was considered the only hope for modernity in the traditional monarchy of the Asian country.

Just a month ago, Juan Carlos I decided to postpone the trip he had planned to Sanxenxo – to return to the regattas – and stay in Abu Dhabi after the outbreak of the war in Iran. Thirty days later, the conflict in the Middle East has not ended, but the emeritus king has decided to leave the Arab country where he has resided since 2020 to receive an award for his memoir book, Reconciliation. The recognition is from the French association Lire la Société, but it is still surprising that the emeritus king receives an award from a country like France, a republic that values the figure and trajectory of Juan Carlos I when the Spanish state has condemned him to ostracism.

If throughout the 20th century many European monarchies could be politically justified as guarantors of democratic values – for example, for not having cooperated with fascism during the world wars –, now this situation has changed. The refinement of the meaning of democracy in the minds of European citizens means that the thrones that have reached our days have become misaligned with the concept of democracy that large segments of society now hold. This society demands that the representatives of its highest institutions not only formally adhere to democratic values, but also live a life consistent with those values. A tangible adherence. Adapting to this new phase is infinitely more complex for monarchies than any previous reform, since these institutions are intrinsically contrary to what meritocracy and equality mean, the two essential pillars upon which a democracy is indefectibly built today.

Some royal accounts say that the current King Charles III once told his ex-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, before their separation, that she could learn a bit more from Sarah Ferguson, who had great charisma and was very pragmatic about palace matters. More of a smile for the outside world and less vulnerability behind closed doors was what he demanded of the mother of his children, a woman who suffered greatly at his hands not because of his own personality but because of the way he treated her. This statement resonates more than ever these days, now that we've learned that the cheerful and pragmatic Fergie was even worse than we imagined: a ruthless woman capable of acting without any principles to achieve her goals, which were almost always material. Just to give one example: after Epstein was convicted of pimping and attempting to prostitute a minor in 2008, she took her two daughters to meet him at the Florida mansion where he was under house arrest. As if to ingratiate herself with the millionaire who we now also know supported her for almost a decade. Like a kind of offering. If Diana had been like Ferguson, as her husband asked her to be, Charles III might not be king today, just as his brother is no longer a prince...

Since Girona declared Felipe VI person persona non grataThe monarchs have not set foot again to present the awards of the Princess of Girona Foundation, a private entity but linked to the royal family. The King's speech on October 3, 2017 This prompted the pro-independence parties in the city council, then governed by Marta Madrenas (Together), to form a united front to express their rejection of the Spanish monarchy from within the City Hall. Since then, the Princess of Girona Foundation has had to scramble to find a venue to present these awards to young talent or to organize related activities. This Tuesday, the King and Queen stopped in Sant Boi de Llobregat, where they announced the winner of one of the categories, the 2026 Princess of Girona Social Award. It was awarded to Hatim Azahry, a Catalan born in Morocco and president of the Poble-sec United Youth Association, who has defended the idea of ​​genocide—in fact, he has spearheaded humanitarian aid efforts. Awarded for his social work with strong youth involvement in the streets and for conveying citizens' needs to the City Council, Azahry also embodies the integration of new Catalans and was applauded. In statements to the media, the 27-year-old noted that the organization allocates part of its budget to on-the-ground aid in Palestine, which he defined as "the cause of humanity." The event coincided with the King's visit to Barcelona this morning to present judicial appointments to a new class of judges, where the speech of the The king has focused on encouraging new professionals. In the afternoon, he declined to say a word to the residents of Sant Boi, surprising some of the monarchist attendees. After delivering speeches deemed controversial by some on the right regarding immigration and political tensions, the king maintained a low profile at an event conducted exclusively in Spanish, which included a musical performance by Alfred.

President Isla accompanied the King of Spain to L'Hospitalet wearing a khaki tie. A green tie, when accompanying the King, signifies that you wouldn't start a French Revolution and slit the throats of several monarchists as in the past. On the contrary. In Castilian Spanish—and We read it in AHORA– the initials VERDE mean "Long live the King of Spain"Green tie means monarchy.

Immigration management is at the heart of Catalan and Spanish politics, in a debate shaped by the rise of the far-right Aliança Catalana and Vox parties. The King of Spain also plays a significant role, both in his institutional capacity and as the apparent arbiter he seeks to become after taking sides throughout the independence process. Felipe VI arrived in Catalonia on Monday to commemorate the centenary of Hospitalet de Llobregat being granted city status. From there, he sought to highlight the past waves of migration from the rest of Spain during the Franco regime, as well as the more recent influxes from Africa and Latin America, while denouncing "sectarianism." Around a hundred members of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and anti-monarchy protesters demonstrated against the visit, while a hundred or so monarchists participated in the carefully controlled welcome and greetings.

The publication of Reconciliation The memoirs of Juan Carlos I, published by Planeta, have caused unease at the Zarzuela Palace not only because of the controversial opinions he expresses (for example, his praise of Franco) but also because he openly displays his resentment towards those who forced him to leave Spain, as well as his taste for luxury and money.

Two days before the controversial memoirs of King Emeritus Juan Carlos I hit bookstores in Spain, a controversial and unexpected promotional message, delivered by the former monarch himself, has surfaced. This Monday, a video was released in which the former king, with a Spanish flag in the background, defends his reign and sends a direct message to young people urging them to support his son as head of state: "I ask you to support my son, King Felipe VI, in this difficult task of uniting all Spaniards," and that Spain continues to follow the emeritus king. This plea has not been well received at the Zarzuela Palace: sources within the royal household, consulted by ARA, made it clear that they had no prior knowledge of the video, that they do not know "what its objective is," and that they consider it "neither appropriate nor necessary."

When this time of year arrives, many people are eager to eat the twelve grapes and start the new year, anxious to know what the next 12 months will bring. This positive approach to the new year will not be shared by Mette-Marit of Norway, who in February 2026 will experience one of the most bitter ordeals a mother can endure: seeing her son in the dock. A tragic moment that, in her case, will be amplified by the international media pressure surrounding the case involving her eldest son, as it is rare to see a member of a monarchy appear in court.

These weeks mark the fiftieth anniversary of the dictator's death and the restoration of the monarchy in Spain. A significant sector of the state establishment has sought to transform this anniversary into an uncritical celebration of the monarchy, presenting it as the natural antithesis of the dictatorship and little more than the democratic unifying force of a supposedly exemplary Transition. But this interpretation is a historical falsehood. To ignore that the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy was precisely a decision made by the Franco regime itself to guarantee the continuity of its fundamental elements is an insult to democratic intelligence. And for this reason, today it is essential to speak plainly to avoid a new collective amnesia.

I don't know which team of writers composes the speeches for the King of Spain, but I always imagine them laughing when they choose the phrases. They laugh at the emptiness, at the cliché, just as gossip columnists laugh when they talk about "gestures of obvious complicity" or the "favorite corner" of a celebrity's house.

Accustomed to an emeritus king who gives no explanations, not even for the events related to his work professional Given that we didn't even know what a prince's voice was until he was proclaimed king, it's understandable that the demeanor of the UK royal family strikes us as completely exotic. They've always seemed that way, but it becomes even more apparent when, as this week, the heir to the throne gives interviews during international trips to discuss matters that go far beyond the legal duties his country has constitutionally entrusted to him, addressing much more intimate and personal issues. Comparisons are truly odious. Really hateful...

It is unusual for a king—even an emeritus one—to speak in the first person about his life and reign. But it is even less common for him to speak about politics, and to do so criticizing a government that is still in power. Juan Carlos I does so in Reconciliation, his memoir published this Wednesday In France. King Felipe VI's father reviews historical events, from the end of the Franco regime to his current "exile" in Abu Dhabi, and for the first time publicly criticizes Pedro Sánchez's government, which he accuses of imposing its will over his ambitions, even now that he lives in retirement thousands of kilometers from Spain. "Even today I have to respect the wishes" of the Royal Household and the government, he laments.

"And this is news?" is the question we often see in the comments on news stories about tabloids and pop culture. And, obviously, these aren't news stories that make the front pages of newspapers, but they are issues we often discuss with friends or family around a table or at the bar. And this is what we do in this podcast: we go to a venue to review some news from the social chronicle that serves not only to keep up with the most important gossip, but also to talk about love, friendship, and breakups.