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"It comes to see without warning me the minister"
In August of 1969, Juan Carlos summoned the ambassador of EE. UU. to explain retail since the succession had taken placeDON JUAN CARLOS explained Hill ambassador who leaves from the pain that felt its father had to the terrible performance of Areilza
EDUARDO MARTÍN OF POZUELO - 30/08/2005
I have returned to be impressed by the interest and intelligence of Juan Carlos, as well as by its total conscience on the political limitations that its present situation represents. Certain sample naivete, but I attribute to its youth and lack to it of practical political experience. Juan Carlos can survive or not the tensions of posfranquista Spain, but in any case I am sure that he tries, by its own effort and resources, to modernize the Spanish policy and is to hope that, at its moment, to govern Spain ".
This is the conclusion at which Robert C. Hill arrived, ambassador of EE. UU. in Madrid of the era Nixon who in August of 1969 was mentioned by prince Juan Carlos, who without wasting time, in 45 minutes, explained to the North American representative its plans of future once named successive. Hill wrote immediately to Washington as, it is of supposing, it wished Don Juan Carlos who happened.
"invitation hers, I have visited today Prince Juan Carlos in the Palace of the Zarzuela", begins the report of Hill in which he says to have found the Prince "sincere, eager to speak about questions related to its appointment like Prince of Spain, and the plans for the future immediate". Hill showed Don Juan Carlos a model of the Apolo XI Eagle and and another one of a F-100 from president Nixon and the Prince said to him that it would go directly by letter to the president.
After the rigor salutings they entered matter immediately. Don Juan Carlos related that many monarchists had said that Don Juan was its election of preference, to which Don Juan Carlos to him respondio ': "Era also mine".
The Prince related then the chronology that Hill gathered accurately with these words: Don Juan Carlos "had solicitd to be received by Franc in hearing in April but not yet it had been received when it went to see his parents to Estoril in June. In Estoril he said to him to his father who Madrid boiled of rumors that Frank it projected to name him him, Juan Carlos, heir to the throne; rumors reinforced by certain ministers of the government who ask the Prince for their plans for the summer. The Prince showed his father who both, in their opinion, would know more or less at the same time of the intentions of Franc ".
On this point Don Juan Carlos it clarified to Hill that thought that Frank to him it had not put in brete informing to him before him and forcing to him thus, about certain way, to in front of keep a secret its father. Soon the Prince explained that when her mother visited Madrid at the end of June not yet she had no indication on the subject and praised Doña Maria of the Mercedes and spoke of his influence in the relations with his father.
The 14 of July, according to Don Juan Carlos in version gathered by Hill, Don Juan telephoned to him. The Prince informed to his father who not yet had had the news of Franc but that the rumors increased. The morning of the 15 of July the Brown called to Don Juan Carlos for a hearing that same afternoon. In the Frank hearing it communicated to him that it would name Prince of Spain and successor the 22 of July. The 16 of Julio the letter of Franc informing to him into the decision was given to Don Juan.
Don Juan Carlos explained to Hill that his father was hurt very, but as pragmatic person would accept the situation to her due time. The Prince of Spain attributed part of the problem of his father to the omission of the count of Motrico in maintaining to Don Juan to the day on the rumors and events in Madrid. Also it explained to him that Don Juan thought that his son knew of the intentions of Franc from the beginning and at any moment, end that Don Juan Carlos denied.
"It is evident - it wrote Hill- that to Juan Carlos dislikes Motrico to him and thinks that it advised bad to his father. The Prince counted on Motrico that left the Spanish embassy in Paris five years ago explaining to which they had promised a high governmental position to him (perhaps the one of president) in years 60. Only when the appointment did not take place, Motrico, bitter with the regime, contacted with Don Juan in Estoril offering itself to work for him. The Prince does not disguise his feelings in the sense that Don Juan had been better advisee to have rejected the offer of Motrico (Jose Maria de Areilza)".
The Prince said to him to Hill that felt that it had to watch towards the future and not the past, that knew that "the monarchy is not
popular ,y of which the task corresponds to him of building a modern monarchy and that indeed it works, with the popular support". "I adhered energetically to the necessity of the popular support from my own experience in policy in EE. UU. and added respectfully that she thought that Juan Carlos would have to dedicate itself intensely to win the affection and support of Spanish youth and the working-class", Hill wrote. Don Juan Carlos prepared in fact its speech before Cortes - the first speech in an important forum - watching the future, to the past and did not consider the ovación to Princess Sofía when leaving the building of Cortes like an indication of the support towards him, ilustrativa than the ovación registered immediately after its speech when it shared the estrado one with Franc.
The Prince considered frankly that the image of Spain abroad had been centered too much time in the person of
the Generalissimo and announced that he and the princess had predicted to visit the main capitals of the world to project the image of the new Spain. As far as its immediate plans "they consist of traveling to Corunna, where Frank it spends its vacations, the next week to remain there until the 9 of August". Don Juan Carlos revealed the ambassador to him who did not know what would do in the Corunna and that not yet had requested to him that seated in the Cabinet.
As far as the relation with EE. UU. Don Juan Carlos one was deluded and once again it played by free. "it said to Me that it called to him when it wanted to deal with important questions, without requesting permission to Outer Subjects. If it asks (to me it said) will be limited to say to him that they do not know anything on the matter and if they disapprove it say simply to me (to my ') that it does not debate such subjects with you in the next occasion ". And, the Prince requested to Hill to be including in any press conference given by members of the Administration on the next trip of Nixon.