General Chat

The Spanish government has asked the Queen of Spain to boycott Queen Elizabeth´s Diamond Jubilee celebration lunch tomorrow as a protest against Prince Edward & the Countess of Wessex´s planned visit to Gibralter next month.
The Spanish Queen is related by blood to both the Qeen & the Duke of Edinburgh, so really it´s not a political visit.
The visit of the Wessex´s to Gibralter hasn´t happened yet.
I can´t help thinking it´s all a bit petty & it´s about time the squabbling over Gibralter stopped once & for all.
I understand it´s strategic importance & the reason why Britain wants to hang on to it, but having seen it, as far as I´m concerned, the Spanish are welcome to it & in these times of economic constraint, it would make sense to leave things as they are.
What do others think??? Not just about sovereignty of Gibralter, but about asking the Queen to cancel her visit to her cousins.

Its Petty and Small Minded,as for Gib itself,if the People there wish to remain as is,let them do so,its their choice. perhaps when the Spanish Banking System Goes Belly up (As it may well do) We should veto any help.See how they like that. :-S

Steady on Merlin. I live in Spain!!!!! Can´t do with the banking system going belly up. Things are bad enough as it is.
Otherwise, I agree entirely.

Well just make sure you,ve got some readies safely available,since they Nationalised One Bank Recently and the problems with Greece and Portugal,better to be a little safe than sorry.Take care.

Thanks for the advice Merlin. Have a finger very firmly on the pulse.
Half of my money in the bank is in a sterling account & half in euros. Everything else is tied up in property. Not a lot of consolation when property values have fallen like a stone, but better than letting the banks lose the lot.
Damage limitation.

I've not had a chance yet to turn down an invitation.

The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.

although the UK government still have a responsibility for defence the Gibraltarians have their own regiment for defending the Rock militarily so they obviously have strong feelings about staying part of the UK

I served their with the British army as part of boarder security in the early 80's when the boarder between Gibraltar and la Linea was closed and the locals were very proud of their association with the British

Gibraltarians are a racial and cultural fusion of the many immigrants who came to the Rock of Gibraltar over three hundred years. They are the descendants of economic migrants who came to Gibraltar following its capture by Britain in 1704. All but 70 of the existing population of 4,000 fled to the surrounding Campo de Gibraltar. The few Spaniards who remained left in 1727 when Gibraltar was subjected to its second Spanish siege

During the Second World War, the whole civilian population of The Rock was evacuated, in the interests of the British military, which decreed that "the fortress comes first". They were moved to the UK, particularly to Fulham and Kensington in London and Ballymena in Northern Ireland, as well as Jamaica and Madeira. This served to strengthen a Gibraltarian, as opposed to simply British, identity, and after the war, there was a successful campaign for repatriation

Just the Spanish throwing their dummy out of the cot,

Always happens when a country are in difficulty's it refocuses the population on something other the the failure of it's own government to deal with the economic situation

Roy

Thanks Porkie Pie.
Although I know that what you say is a fact, I still don´t see why the Spanish government should see fit to tell the Queen that she can´t go to what is basically a family celebration for a cousin.
It seems very childish to me.

Wisechild, sorry i have added to my post it posted ? before i had finished my post? don't no how but it did :-S

Roy

Not to worry.
The Spanish make a national pastime of throwing their toys out of the pram.
I speak from experience, being married to one.
Lovely people generally, but incredibly easily offended.
Let Sophia go to the ball I say. She isn´t even Spanish, she´s Greek!!!!

IF the people of Gibralter have voted and chosen to remain under the wing of the UK then that's that as far as I'm concerned. Democracy in action.

I'm sure the Queen won't miss one guest too much should she chose not to attend.....Sophia's loss...not her Maj's x

Merlin......

perhaps when the Spanish Banking System Goes Belly up (As it may well do) We should veto any help.See how they like that.

...yup :-)

No Muffy, that´s true & I agree with what you say about the people of Gibralter having the right to choose.
What makes me cross is that the Spanish government sees fit to tell the queen not to go. It wasn´t Sophia´s decision.
That´s hardly Democratic.