The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, made a gaffe by stating that King Felipe VI has been "reigning for twenty years," when in reality the monarch took office in 2014, having ruled for just over a decade so far. The factual error generated controversy and exposed weaknesses in the executive's communication.
King Felipe VI's visit to Ceuta was at the center of a dispute between the Royal Household and Sánchez's Government. The monarch had expressed the desire to visit the Spanish territory in North Africa, showing interest in being present in one of Spain's autonomous cities.
The socialist executive preferred to postpone the King's visit to Ceuta to avoid offending the Moroccan crown. This decision highlighted the diplomatic tension between Madrid and Rabat, at a time when relations between the two countries are going through a delicate period.
Sánchez's gaffe about the King's reign thus exposed more clearly the divergences between the Government and the monarchy regarding the question of Ceuta, a territory whose sovereignty is contested by Morocco.
