Spain's Queen Sofia Snubs Brit Jubilee Over Gibraltar

Spain's Queen Sofia is dumping her planned trip to Britain to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in a long-simmering snit over Gibraltar. It's "hardly appropriate" for Sofia, 73, to attend lunch at Windsor Castle tomorrow in light of the two nations' tensions over the territory, noted a statement from the Spanish government. Spain and the UK are currently bickering about fishing rights off Gibraltar, a territory ruled by Britain since 1713, but which is also claimed by Spain.

Spain is also protesting a planed June visit to Gibraltar by Elizabeth's son, Prince Edward, and his wife. Particularly hard for Spain to take at the Diamond Jubilee is that the British regimental band of Gibraltar will be performing. There's no response from the British royals on Sofia's snub, notes the BBC. (More Spain stories.)