THE MONARCHY AND SPANISH

 

Except for two short Republics and a long Dictatorship, Spain has been and is a Constitutional Monarchy. Felipe VI is the present king. And of all 22 Spanish-speaking countries it is the only monarchy, the rest being republics or dictatorships. And yet, references to the institution abound in all those countries where lovers refer to one another as "mi rey, rey mío, mi reina, reina mía" and in every one of those countries the babyboy is "el rey de la casa", and not the "presidente de la casa." The babygirl is, of course, "la princesa (reina) de la casa" and will be referred to as "mi princesa" or "princesa mía" by either parent. I could go on and on, but I have made my point: language has nothing to do with politics or forms of government. And all Hispanic teenagers dream of a "príncipe azul" to come and sweep them off their feet.