James BryceSPAIN has formally complained to Britain over Prince Edward’s visit to Gibraltar next month.
British Ambassador Giles Paxman was told officials are ‘upset and unhappy’ about the three-day trip, organised to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The complaint was raised during a scheduled meeting between the diplomat and Santiago Cabanas Ansorena, Foreign Policy Director at Spain’s Foreign Office.
But Andrew Rosindell, chairman of the Overseas Territories All-Party Parliamentary Group, defended the visit, despite fresh tension over the issue of sovereignty.
“Gibraltar may be close to Spain, but it is not Spanish and its people do not want to be Spanish,” he said.
“Members of the Royal Family are perfectly entitled to go to any of Her Majesty’s territories in any part of the world whenever they want. I thought Spain had grown up.”
An official statement released by Spain’s Foreign Office said: “In the course of their conversation and among other subjects, Mr Cabanas Ansorena took the opportunity to express his government’s upset and unhappiness over the visit by the Earl and Countess of Wessex to Gibraltar between June 11 and 13.”
Princess Anne was the last member of the British royal family on the Rock when she opened a military clinic in 2009.
Queen Sofia of Spain is due to travel to London for an official lunch at Windsor Castle to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne.
I think its best Spain concentrates on her collapsed banks ,bankia Group , Cam Bank ect
her 50% unemployment , her jailed mayors corrupt officials ect and get the beady eyes of my Gibraltar . Youve had your whack of english money my amigos go search another patsy.
“Gibraltar may be close to Spain, but it is not Spanish and its people do not want to be Spanish,”
It’s obvious they don’t want to be spanish because they already have the advantage of being spanish,and the advantage of being gibraltar citizen.lol
I live in Spain and love Spain but I do think getting territorial about a rock in the present economic climate is pathetic. The whole of Europe is now dependant on pulling out of this financial mess. If it is not broken don’t try to mend it, the inhabitants on the island know which side their bread is buttered on, leave alone!!!!
I think Spain needs to get a life and concentrate on its problems, and not trying to create others
I see this visit as another freebie paid for by the British taxpayer for a couple on the periphery of the Royal Family and a wholly unneccesary provocation for the Spanish.
I agree with Louie – Spain’s politicians should concentrate on solving their current IMPORTANT problems, rather than exerting ANY efforts on a visit by two non-entities.
I agree Mike all these royals getting free trips free everything because of the taxes we pay its disgraceful!
I think the same as most of you. Politicians should concentrate more on solving the current economic problems, but on both sides, British politicians and entitled people should learn not to waste our money in tax-paid visits that have no sense, but to arise disconformity and uneasiness. Our royals should learn to fasten the belt in hard times like this.
I am not too sure what the Gibraltar people want, I am told they dont want to be Spanish – yet my daughter and I visited there last week and found the inhabitants very unsociable/verging on hostile towards us, was that because we are british, to the point that we walked out of a coffee shop after waiting 10 minutes to be served and were totally ignored, that is one of many incidents on our visit.
Es lastima que ustedes no peudan venir a Virginia conocer King Manuel II y Reina Isabella II … .
Philip Tinsley III, House of York, Stuart & Leicester (Lester), King of Virginia (see Treaty of Lancaster, 1744) and Unofficial King of England and Northern Ireland (see Naturalization Act of 1870 and CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA v. USA and UK/GB, 2011, International Court of Justice, Den Hague, The Kingdom of The Netherlands)
Gibralta is perfectly British and will remain so always.
The Queen has already made her feelings quite clear, “It’s my Rock” and unfortunately for those who want to change this, it will never happen. New topic :)
Helen I have just read your comment on your visit to Gibraltar last May. I am sorry your holiday to Gibraltar was not enjoyable, but as a gibraltarian myself let me tell you that we are not all unsociable. Please don’t judge all gibraltarians as rude just because you and your daughter weren’t treated right, but as I guess you would know there are rude people all over the world. I have had my fair share of very rude people in UK, but I wouldn’t clasify all people in Uk to be rude. Last but by no means less we the people of Gibraltar wish remain British. British we are British we stay. We like the Falklands also have already had 2 referendum, and 99% voted to remain British, same result in two different occasions, first one Watson 1969 and second one in 2002 and we got same result both times. So let me tell you that we wish to remain British. We gibraltarians will decide our own future, it is not Spain’s to claim or Britain’s to give away. Same as the Falklands belong to the Falkland islander’s it is not Argentina’s to claim or Britain’s to give away. God save the Queen.