Spanish sighs at Jeb's royal gaffe
Who would have thought that Jeb Bush, the president's brother, was a closet supporter of the leftwingers who fought against Franco in the Spanish civil war? But this week the governor of Florida has caused ripples by referring to Spain as the "republic" it was then rather than as the monarchy it is now.
Mr Bush was in Madrid on a trade mission when, paying tribute to Jose Maria Aznar, the prime minister, he said: "I would like to finish by thanking the president of the Republic of Spain for his friendship with the United States."
But Spain ceased being a republic in 1939 when General Franco defeated the Republican side and became dictator. The constitutional monarchy was restored under Juan Carlos II in 1975, after Franco's death.
Who would have thought that Jeb Bush, the president's brother, was a closet supporter of the leftwingers who fought against Franco in the Spanish civil war? But this week the governor of Florida has caused ripples by referring to Spain as the "republic" it was then rather than as the monarchy it is now.
Mr Bush was in Madrid on a trade mission when, paying tribute to Jose Maria Aznar, the prime minister, he said: "I would like to finish by thanking the president of the Republic of Spain for his friendship with the United States."
But Spain ceased being a republic in 1939 when General Franco defeated the Republican side and became dictator. The constitutional monarchy was restored under Juan Carlos II in 1975, after Franco's death.