Spain's Princess Cristina charged with tax fraud, money-laundering

[Queequeg]

It's a shame Britain was never a contestant in one of those wars of succession, someone go back in time and whack Geroge the II please.

Scotland and Hannover? 

[Queequeg]

Yo Spaniards,
Is there any goodwill left over for the Monarchy from the transition to Democracy?  Juan Carlos is maybe the only European monarch of the later half of the 20th Century who ever did anyone any good. 

[jimmy olsen]

It's a shame Britain was never a contestant in one of those wars of succession, someone go back in time and whack Geroge the II please.

Scotland and Hannover?

Hanover and Prussia.

[Queequeg]

That was straight-up annexation. 

[Queequeg]

PUs suck.  Way better to just annex a bitch.

[Sheilbh]

Juan Carlos is maybe the only European monarch of the later half of the 20th Century who ever did anyone any good.

If you're going to say that sort of thing you need to change your profile pic

[Queequeg]

I don't have anything against Elizabeth, I just think her primary role today is ceremonial and cultural. Juan Carlos made the Spanish transition to Democracy a lot easier, something Elizabeth's German forbears did not by choice but by incompetence.

[jimmy olsen]

That was straight-up annexation.

If George II dies without heirs, or his heirs die with him in an outbreak of fever or the pox or what have you, then his sister Sophia, the Queen in Prussia inherits the throne of Great Britain. Her son Fredrick the Great will stand in line to inherit Great Britain and Prussia. IIRC Hanover would be inline for a couple of elderly and childless relations, but I imagine that Sophia (and her husband especially) would want to keep it. Obviously Austria (among others) would object to the prospect of a Prussian-Hanoverian-British union.

[celedhring]

Yo Spaniards,
Is there any goodwill left over for the Monarchy from the transition to Democracy?  Juan Carlos is maybe the only European monarch of the later half of the 20th Century who ever did anyone any good.

It's more goodwill for Juan Carlos than goodwill for the monarchy at large. Unlike the British, the Spanish monarchy isn't particularly ostentous or pompous - they never use crown or throne for example - which has helped their popularity even among the left wing. The scandals have eroded their popularity, and the younger generations born in the democracy don't feel that goodwill either, so things can be a bit hokey with the succession. However, the prince has been spared so far in those scandals, so his popularity is pretty good still. But he doesn't have the halo of his father, nor we are exiting a dictatorship; the republicans will speak up this time.

I don't think Spain will become a republic anytime soon, if that is what you're asking. But the crown will have to adapt.

[The Larch]

It's a shame Britain was never a contestant in one of those wars of succession, someone go back in time and whack Geroge the II please.

Huh?

How do you think Britain got Gibraltar?

Britain fought in the war, but the British monarch wasn't a candidate for the Spanish throne.

A prottie ruling Spain? Yeah, right.

[The Larch]

Yo Spaniards,
Is there any goodwill left over for the Monarchy from the transition to Democracy?  Juan Carlos is maybe the only European monarch of the later half of the 20th Century who ever did anyone any good.

What Cel said. There's a sizeable remnant of goodwill left from the transition for Juan Carlos (personally on him, not on the monarchy per se), but he has been coasting on it for 30+ years, and in the last couple of them it has been scandals left and right. The crown prince has been untouched by the scandals, so he might stand a chance in the future, but he has not the same goodwill behind him like his father, and he's not exactly dripping charisma. The logical thing to do for Juan Carlos would be to abdicate and spare the public of his nth hip replacement surgery/elephant hunting trip/frolicking with German flozzies dominating the airwaves anymore.

Then again, I don't see any of the two big political parties rocking the boat on this in the near future. Republicanism will continue to be fringe-ish in political discourse, even if it's quite popular in the street and amongst younger people.

[Zanza]

It's a shame Britain was never a contestant in one of those wars of succession, someone go back in time and whack Geroge the II please.

You need to make sure that Bloody Mary has a child with Philip II to get Britain involved in that particular succession war though.

[Iormlund]

Britain fought in the war, but the British monarch wasn't a candidate for the Spanish throne.

There was zero chance of that happening.

[jimmy olsen]

Britain fought in the war, but the British monarch wasn't a candidate for the Spanish throne.

There was zero chance of that happening.

I know, that's why I said it was a shame. All those 17th century wars of succession, Spanish, Austrian and Polish and not one with a British candidate.

[celedhring]

Britain fought in the war, but the British monarch wasn't a candidate for the Spanish throne.

There was zero chance of that happening.

I know, that's why I said it was a shame. All those 17th century wars of succession, Spanish, Austrian and Polish and not one with a British candidate.

All catholic nations, don't embrace heresy next time.