King and grandson shoot themselves in the foot: media goes ballistic

Father and son

MADRID First, the King's grandson, Felipe Juan Froilán, 13, son of his eldest daughter, the Infanta Elena, and her estranged husband, Jaime de Marichalar, shot himself in the foot last week. Then King Juan Carlos fell over and broke his hip during a private visit to Botswana, where he went out for a shoot over the weekend. Both of these have caused considerable excitement in the Spanish media. The first incident had the boy's father telling the Guardia Civil that the accident happened while they were practicing with guns. Then Marichalar changed his story, saying that it had happened while they were cleaning and putting away their guns. The GC investigated the incident and came to the conclusion that it was indeed an accident, which makes the father liable to a fine of up to €3,000 and the removal of his guns and licences for a period of up to a year - children under 14 are not allowed to handle guns in Spain. Felipe Juan Froilán was released from hospital with a bandaged right foot, while his mother, the King's daughter, is reported to have been less than pleased. The second royal incident happened PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE but you can make a donation NOW, too! Please click here for more information on how to help us continue. (This item was researched, written and edited using several sources; this took some 50 minutes)>>>

Before the fall

over the weekend, when King Juan Carlos fell during an elephant shoot in Botswana, where he was on a private visit. He has had to undergo surgery.
The media are going ballistic (never was a more appropriate slang word used!). As The Guardian online put it: While ordinary Spaniards cope with harsh austerity, recession and soaring unemployment, the country's royal family has been enjoying expensive hunting trips, one of which resulted in King Juan Carlos ending up in hospital. (Read the whole article here.)
The King is Honorary President of the WWF's Spanish branch, so many environmental groups are asking for his resignation. WWF has asked for a meeting with the head of the Royal Household, Rafael Spottorno Díaz-Caro, to discuss the matter.