Spain - Last week Spain's King Juan Carlos spoke about a horrid sinking feeling he'd had after being persuaded to return the keys of his beloved taxpayer-funded £18 million floating gin palace Fortuna.
Today another blow befell the mighty House of Borbón as the country's $2.2 billion brand new, state-of-the-art S-80 class submarine dropped to the bottom of the sea bed during a maiden voyage dry run.
Built by national shipbuilders Navantia the 71-metre long, 2,200 ton sub is 75 tons too heavy to float - and needs a phallus-like $250 million rear extension to redistribute the deadweight from deep inside its high-tech bowels.
In terms of national disasters this one's up there along with King Juan Carlos' marriage to Queen Sophia ...and various ancient scandals involving General Franco [don't' ask.]
"At least the Spanish royal family hasn't had a brand new fungal mold named after them, heheh," a Spanish naval officer commented, "unlike the Dutch King and Queen and three royal princesses, all immortalized after giving their names to a new, lethal hybrid of fungal nail disease."
Singeing of the King of Spain's Beard begins at half past midnight this Saturday.
