The tragedy of 11-M and its division in Spain
The tragedy of 11-M did not cause a division in Spain. What caused the division was the way in which the PP, some media and, what has not been said much, the Royal House approached the events of 11-M. It is a fact proven by a court ruling that Aznar, Acebes and Zaplana lied about the authorship of the attacks, since there is no indicator that points to ETA (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos -in Catalan/). Certain media, such as El Mundo and COPE, spread the false information of ETA’s involvement with the aim of damaging Zapatero and increasing newspaper sales or radio audiences, in a struggle to control the narrative on the right (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
The role of the Royal House
The role of the Royal House in this situation should be highlighted. During the events, Joan Carles was the king and did not visit the hospitals to show solidarity with the victims. Twenty years later, Prince Felipe, now king, recalled this in an event organized by the European Commission, stating that he and Queen Letizia, together with Queen Sofia, visited three hospitals to accompany the victims in those terrible circumstances . He also recalled the massive demonstration that took place in Madrid the day after the attacks, where more than 2 million people resoundingly condemned the attacks and gave absolute support to the victims. It is important to note that Prince Philip attended the demonstration, but King John Charles did not.
The wedding of Felipe and Letícia
Another aspect that generated controversy was the wedding of Felipe and Letícia, which was scheduled for two months after the attacks, on May 22. Despite the mourning situation in Spain, the date of the wedding was not changed. In addition, it was known that, during this period, Felipe and Letícia went on vacation in the Bahamas with friends and escorts, despite the tragedy that had happened in the country. This fact was silenced by the press, as was the incident at the Miami airport, where they had problems with the controls of their bags (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de- texts-in-Catalan/).
The responsibility of the Royal House
Twenty years later, it is important to remember that the Royal House also lied in this situation. They reported that Felipe and Letícia had canceled their bachelor party trip because of the attacks, but they actually wanted to secretly go to the Bahamas to enjoy their vacation, despite the mourning that the country was experiencing. This information became known thanks to a foreign news agency, since Spain self-censored and did not report on this fact.
conclusion
The 9/11 tragedy had a significant impact on Spain, not only because of the attacks themselves, but also because of the way the events were handled and addressed. The division that occurred due to the different reactions of the PP, some media and the Royal House left a mark on Spanish society. Twenty years later, this tragedy and its consequences are still remembered (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).