Spain's foreign minister has described as 'deeply unfortunate' today's royal visit to Gibraltar by the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
As excited residents hung out flags and bunting to welcome Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Rhys-Jones, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo rained on their parade, making it clear that the Spanish government was vehemently against the three-day visit.
Speaking to reporters at the end of a conference in Madrid, he said: 'I said from the outset that this visit was deeply unfortunate. Spain's reaction is well known.'
When asked if the Spanish government would take additional steps to protest at the visit, Mr Margallo said: 'We have not stopped taking measures.'
It was the second time that he has complained about the royal visit - last month he referred to it as 'unfortunate both in timing and manner'.
Tensions between Britain and Spain have increased in recent weeks due to a dispute over fishing rights off the peninsula, a UK territory which Spain also claims.
Spanish fishermen are demanding the right to fish in Gibraltar waters, in breach of a 1999 ruling. Some 59 Spanish boats based in towns near the Rock are affected by the ban on using their nets there.
But residents on Gibraltar are determined to pull out all the stops for the royal couple.
They are due to arrive at lunchtime today and will be met by Gibraltar's Governor Sir Adrian Johns and the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.
After that, they will be driven to nearby RAF Gibraltar to inspect a tri-service Guard of Honour.
As part of a packed three-day itinerary, the Earl and Countess will lay the foundation stone for Gibraltar's Diamond Jubilee Monument, attend a Queen's Birthday Parade, tour Main Street in front of thousands of Gibraltarians and visit the headquarters of the British Forces.
They will also meet 91-year-old Aurelio Montegriffo, who dined with the Queen when she visited Gibraltar in 1954.
Of Spain's reaction, Mr Montegriffo said: 'It is just ridiculous. Everyone here is so excited. Why do they have to be so silly about it?'
Last month, in the shadow of the fishing dispute and the planned royal visit, Queen Sofia of Spain pulled out of attending a Jubilee lunch at Windsor Castle - a move which came at the request of the incensed Spanish government.
And last week, a group of Spaniards was escorted out of Gibraltar for their own safety after angering locals celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Police took the five football fans to the border after a 50-strong mob surrounded them, claiming to have been provoked by seeing one of them kissing the badge on his Spanish national football shirt.
Royal Gibraltar Police said: 'People are hyper-sensitive at the moment and you can compare kissing the badge to going round Tel Aviv celebrating Hitler. We moved them for their own safety.'
