When King Juan Carlos assumed the throne of Spain on 27 November 1975, dignitaries from around the world came to Madrid for the religious ceremony, a sacramental anointing that was witnessed by, among others, the
Mary Vincent
Adolfo Suárez’s state funeral later today, on Monday 31 March, marks the passing of the principal architect of Spain’s transition to democracy. The story was an unlikely one. After nearly forty years of dictatorship, General
A letter to The Guardian last week pointed out that another pope had ‘ducked’ the now 422-year-old challenge of becoming Sixtus VI. The new pope, Francis I, has perhaps met a greater challenge; he is
The pope retires to a monastic life today, a withdrawal from the world that marks the end of both his pontificate and his public life. As historians assess his reign, they will all ask how