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SPAIN AND THE UK

‘She shaped history’: Spain mourns passing of Queen Elizabeth II

Numerous Spanish public figures have paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday, referring to her as a “figure of global significance” and an “iconic woman” in the 20th and 21st century.

Published: 9 September 2022 07:51 CEST
elizabeth ii spain
Spain's King Felipe paid homage to Queen Elizabeth II saying she had "witnessed, written and shaped many of the most relevant chapters in the history of our world". Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/ AFP

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, died on Thursday September 8th at Balmoral, her beloved country house in Scotland, aged 96, after 70 years on the throne.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow”.

Spain’s King Felipe VI paid homage to Queen Elizabeth II saying she had “witnessed, written and shaped many of the most relevant chapters in the history of our world”.

“Her sense of duty, commitment and a whole life devoted to serving,” the Spanish king said in a telegram addressed to the new king, Charles III.

Felipe VI later referred to the British monarch as “one of the best queens of all time”.

Elizabeth II was only in Spain once as part of a state visit in 1988 organised by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, a gesture she reciprocated on two occasions at Buckingham Palace in 1986 and again in 2017, three years after Felipe and Letizia took the Spanish throne.

“This state visit is an expression of the deep respect and friendship that describes the relationship between Spain and the United Kingdom,” Elizabeth II said five year ago, evidencing how during her reign she tried to foster a close relationship between both countries.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia were also with Queen Elizabeth last March when they attended the tribute ceremony in London for the Duke of Edinburgh, the late husband of Elizabeth II who died in April 2021 and who had a very restricted funeral as a result of the pandemic.

In fact, the British monarch and Spain’s Royal Family shared blood ties through Queen Victoria (often referred to as ‘the Grandmother of Europe’), and the Bourbons affectionately called Elizabeth Auntie Lilibet.

Last year, the Andalusian city of Seville, famed for its oranges, brought back the old tradition of gifting oranges (or in this case marmalade) to the British royals.

As is the case around the world, there is a high degree of interest in the British Royal Family in Spain and tens of thousands of Spaniards have shared their condolences to the British public upon hearing the news of Elizabeth II’s passing.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took to Twitter on Thursday evening to write: “My condolences to the entire Royal Family, the government and the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

“A figure of global significance, witness and author of British and European history.”

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, Regional President of Madrid, has declared three days of mourning in Spain’s capital, praising Elizabeth II as an “iconic woman of the 20th century who knew how to reinvent herself in the 21st century as she left her personal seal”.

“A symbol of continuity, stability, of a community of peoples and of faith spread throughout the world”, Ayuso added, saying that flags in Madrid would be at half-mast for the next three days.

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BRITONS IN SPAIN

FACT CHECK: Spain’s ‘£97 daily rule’ isn’t new nor a worry for British tourists

The British tabloids are at it again causing alarm over the so-called '£97 daily rule’ which Spain is apparently imposing on UK tourists, who in turn are threatening to ‘boycott’ the country. 

Published: 15 April 2024 14:28 CEST
Updated: 20 April 2024 07:22 CEST
FACT CHECK: Spain's '£97 daily rule' isn't new nor a worry for British tourists

American playwright Eugene O’Neill once said: “There is no present or future – only the past, happening over and over again – now”.

In 2022, The Local Spain wrote a fact-checking article titled ‘Are UK tourists in Spain really being asked to prove €100 a day?‘, in which we dispelled the claims made in the British press about Spain’s alleged new rules for UK holidaymakers.

Two years on in 2024, the same eye-catching headlines are resurfacing in Blighty: “’Anti-British? Holiday elsewhere!’ Britons fume as tourists in Spain warned they may be subject to additional rules” in GB News, or “’They would be begging us to come back’: Brits vow to ‘boycott Spain’ over new £97 daily rule” in LBC.

The return of this rabble-rousing ‘news’ in the UK has coincided with calls within Spain to change the existing mass tourism model that’s now more than ever having an impact on the country’s housing crisis.

Even though Spaniards behind the protests have not singled out any foreign nationals as potential culprits, the UK tabloids have unsurprisingly capitalised on this and run headlines such as “Costa del Sol turns on British tourists”.

READ MORE: Why does hatred of tourists in Spain appear to be on the rise?

What is the so-called ‘£97 daily rule’?

Yes, there is theoretically a ‘£97 a day rule’, but it is not a new rule, nor one that applies only to UK nationals specifically, and not even one that Spain alone has imposed (all Schengen countries set their financial means threshold).

As non-EU nationals who are not from a Schengen Area country either (the United Kingdom never was in Schengen), British tourists entering Spain could have certain requirements with which to comply if asked by Spanish border officials.

Such requirements include a valid passport, proof of a return ticket, documents proving their purpose of entry into Spain, limits on the amount of time they can spend in Spain (the 90 out of 180 days Schengen rule), proof of accommodation, a letter of invitation if staying with friends or family (another controversial subject in the British press when it emerged) and yes, proof of sufficient financial means for the trip.

Third-country nationals who want to enter Spain in 2024 may need to prove they have at least €113,40 per day (around £97), with a minimum of €972 (around £830) per person regardless of the intended duration of the stay. It is unclear whether this could also possibly apply to minors.

The amount of financial means to prove has increased slightly in 2024 as it is linked to Spain’s minimum wage, which has also risen. 

Financial means can be accredited by presenting cash, traveller’s checks, credit cards accompanied by a bank account statement, an up-to-date bank book or any other means that proves the amount available as credit on a card or bank account.

Have Britons been prevented from entering Spain for not having enough money?

There is no evidence that UK holidaymakers have been prevented from entering Spain after not being able to show they have £97 a day to cover their stay, nor any reports that they have been asked to show the financial means to cover their stay either. 

17.3 million UK tourists visited Spain in 2023; equal to roughly 47,400 a day. 

Even though British tourists have to stand in the non-EU queue at Spanish passport control, they do not require a visa to enter Spain and the sheer number of UK holidaymakers means that they’re usually streamlined through the process, having to only quickly show their passports.

The only occasional hiccups that have arisen post-Brexit have been at the land border between Gibraltar and Spain (issued that are likely to be resolved soon), and these weren’t related to demonstrating financial means. 

Therefore, the British press are regurgitating alarmist headlines that don’t reflect any truth, but rather pander to the ‘they need us more than we need them’ mantra that gets readers clicking. 

To sum up, there is a £97 a day rule, but it is not new, it has not affected any British tourists to date, and it is not specific to Spain alone to potentially require proof of economic means. 

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