That just makes the “us vs them” mindset worse. Frankly, I’m convinced that Catalan independence is a case of “when’ not “if” and that the present course of action By both the government and the crown is simply delaying the inevitable. Indeed that speech might well earn F his place in the history books as the man who lost Catalonia, something far worse than embezzlement and sexual promiscuity.
For all his poor decisions, JC would never have said something like that and at least tried to understand the Non Castilian regions - something F seems unable or unwilling to do.
I suspect the real reason is a generation gap. Younger people are less tolerant of all this as they grew up after Franco died and have higher expectations than their elders.
Its also about class too. Spain’s political/business elite and high society are willing to tolerate stuff like that as they are the ones who benefit, but the man and woman on the street never have - they’re in a better position than in the past to make their displeasure known and plush back than in the past.
On top of that attitudes to sex and relationships have changed dramatically as well - this is one of the major reasons behind all the criticism of JC’s behavior and the way its been treated - its not just anachronistic, its an embarrassing throwback to A past many in Spain want to leave behind.
Letizia falls into both the post Franco generational band and was from a very middle class background (actual middle class, not nouveau riche social climbers like the Duchess of Cambridge’s family) So her views and Actions make total sense with all this taken into account. And if she stood up to JC about his actions, good on her! Somebody had to. Also avoiding Christina and her husband was also just common sense.
The King would seem to be entirely in the hands of the Prime Minister at the moment. I fear repeated calls for a change to the Constitution and the Estatut of Catalonia might see the King lose ground and Sanchez tone down his support for the Monarchy. Remember he is in a coalition with rabid republicans who just may look to do deals with the separatists. I don't think the Spanish Crown is at all stable. One more scandal could see the first fall of a Monarchy in Europe since WWII.