James BrycePRINCE Edward touched down in Gibraltar on Monday to be greeted by equal amounts of fanfare and fury, depending on which side of the border you are on.
But with all the controversy surrounding the visit at a political level, it is easy to overlook the reality of the situation at a human level.
While politicians in both Gibraltar and Spain have engaged in self-serving acts of political point scoring – residents on both sides of the border have been busy making the most of the occasion.
There are plenty of Spanish residents with businesses in Gibraltar who welcomed the Royals with open arms thanks to the extra revenue generated by the crowds of well-wishers.
Meanwhile businesses in La Linea will also have benefitted to a lesser extent from the passing trade created by curious Brits from the Costa del Sol hoping for a glimpse of royalty.
The ferocity of the row over Gibraltar’s sovereignty may have intensified recently, but as can be seen from the feature (right), there is more mutual affection between Spain and Britain than perhaps first meets the eye.
In your dreams Prince