A Borb

Ever since Generalissimo Francisco Franco named Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon as his eventual successor 18 months ago, the tall, athletic prince has played the role of silent backstop to the aging dictator with uncommon aplomb and discretion. Because Franco is sensitive about his height (5 ft. 3 in.), Juan Carlos (6 ft. 2 in.) always stays well to the rear and off to the side of the Caudillo when they must stand together. At sitdown occasions, the problem is solved by elevating Franco's seat to raise him ever so slightly above the prince.

On several occasions during the recent political crisis touched off by the Burgos trial of Basque nationalists, Juan Carlos. 33, was hurriedly summoned to appear at Franco's side, but he always withdrew quickly into the shadows. In fact, his reactions were so carefully controlled that in some quarters even in Spain he came to be known as "the papier-mache prince."

Last week Spaniards watching television coverage of the prince's first state visit to the U.S. (there were three previous unofficial tours) got a somewhat different picture of their future king. Away from Franco's tight leash, the handsome Borbon, accompanied by his pretty, Greek-born wife Princess Sophia, impressed official Washington as conscientious and thoroughly charming. Officially, the aim of the trip was to return President Nixon's October visit to Madrid. The real motive was to refurbish Spain's tarnished image in the wake of the Burgos trials. Sending Franco himself certainly would not have accomplished that. There would have been demonstrations wherever he went.

Though Juan Carlos is known to feel that greater political liberties must be granted in Spain, he cautiously avoided talking politics. Nations cannot live "in isolation," he said in his response to the President's official welcome on the White House lawn, and that was about as close as he came to a statement on Spain's policies. The most political note of the visit was injected during a White House dinner, when President Nixon announced that the next number to be played by Pianist Sergio Mendes would be Fool on the Hill. Then Nixon noted: "For all my colleagues from the Congress, I want to say [Mendes] chose it--I didn't."

Before departing for San Diego, Los Angeles, Houston and Cape Kennedy, where they were to watch the Apollo 14 launching, the royal couple attended Washington's most glittering social affair of the season, a gala dinner dance at the Spanish embassy.

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