Queen Sofia's controversial biography

Oct 31, 2008, 12:00 GMT

Spain's Queen Sofia has caused outrage with apparently homophobic comments.

Extracts from new biography 'The Queen Up Close' which appear to show the 69-year-old monarch's anti-gay stance caused instant controversy after they were published in Spain's El Pais newspaper yesterday (30.10.08).

King Juan Carlos' wife is quoted as saying: "I can understand, accept and respect that there are people of other sexual tendencies, but should they be proud to be gay? Should they ride on a parade float and come out in protests? If all of those of us who aren't gay came out to protest we would halt traffic.

"If those people want to live together, dress up like bride and groom and marry, they could have a right to do so, or not, depending on the law of their country, but they should not call this matrimony, because it isn't. There are many possible names: social contract, social union".

The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays and Transsexuals immediately asked the queen to retract her comments.

Referring to Prince Felip's marriage to divorced journalist Letizia Ortiz, federation president Antonio Poveda said: "Many mothers of gays and lesbians are going to ask why the queen understands that the prince would marry a divorced woman, but she can't understand why other mothers wouldn't want that same happiness of marriage for their children."

Sofia also opened up about recent criticism of the monarchy, which has even seen groups of people burning their photographs.

Biographer Pilar Urbano asked if it hurt her feelings, to which the queen replied: "Well, of course, we're not made of stone. It's hard to ignore. It's hard to stay silent. We all have our self-esteem. But you have to swallow it: receive, greet, smile 'How are you?' as if nothing happened. For them to ruffle you would be worse."