A British historian says Spain’s former king privately told British officials that Spain did not really want Gibraltar.
Charles Powell, who is also the Director of the Spanish Foreign Policy thinktank ElCano, made the claim in an interview to promote his new book about King Juan Carlos the First and Spanish foreign policy.
In an interview with the Spanish digital news outlet El Independiente, historian Charles Powell said that former Spanish king Juan Carlos I privately told British officials that Spain did not genuinely seek sovereignty over Gibraltar.
Charles Powell said the comments were made in 1983, when Spain’s main foreign-policy objective was joining the then European Community.
The Spanish King said Gibraltar was largely used to address domestic opinion, and that Madrid avoided any action that could damage relations with the UK. Charles Powell said the claims are based on British diplomatic archives and indicate that the Gibraltar issue was handled differently in public and in private.
The interview, promoting Charles Powell’s latest book on the life of King Juan Carlos I, also refers to British concerns after Spain’s failed coup attempt in 1981, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered extra defensive measures in Gibraltar.
