Spain's aloof king suffers "annus horribilis"

By Jason Webb

MADRID (Reuters) - Decades of immunity to bad publicity seem to have ended for Spain's King Juan Carlos, who is suffering an "annus horribilis" with his picture burnt on the street and family strife spilling into the open.

Even a small victory, when on Tuesday a judge fined two cartoonists for an obscene magazine cover depicting Crown Prince Felipe, was spoiled for the king by the announcement just hours later that his eldest daughter was separating from her husband.

The week had already started badly, with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez demanding an apology from Juan Carlos, who had told him to "shut up" at an Ibero-American summit in Chile.

Spanish newspapers printed headlines dubbing the king's troubles his "annus horribilis" -- a reference to the Latin phrase, meaning horrible year, popularised by the Queen during a rough patch of her own in 1992.

"The customary serenity of Juan Carlos as well as the experience of his staff have been put to the test in this annus horribilis," wrote Barcelona newspaper El Periodico in its editorial, adding that nonetheless the monarchy might emerge strengthened from its trials.

One element of the king's troubles has been family misfortunes too grave to be ignored by Spain's media, usually much more respectful of royal intimacy than its British equivalent.

The first wave of personal trouble came in February, when Prince Felipe's sister-in-law died of an overdose of tranquilisers.

Felipe was back in the news in July, when a satirical magazine depicted him having sex on its front cover. Then came his sister Elena's separation.