Ryanair angers Spain's royal family over Queen Sofia photo
Ryanair angers Spain's royal family over Queen Sofia photo
Ryanair has upset Spain's royal family, the Bourbons. The country's Queen Sofia flew with Ryanair to Stansted last week, prompting the airline to use her photo in its adverts.
Queen Sofia used Ryanair to fly from
Santander in northern
Spain to Stansted to visit her brother in a
London hospital. Since the Queen took the flight, Ryanair has used her photo to promote its low cost flights.
La Zarzuela, which The Times describes as the Spanish equivalent of Buckingham Palace, said that the Bourbons were displeased by Ryanair's actions. It was made clear that Queen Sofia's image had been used without her permission.
It is not uncommon for Spanish royals to travel on scheduled Spanish airlines, but Ryanair was the only carrier offering a flight to London from Santander on the day in question. "Whenever possible the royals use Spanish airlines," said La Zarzuela. "In this case Ryanair was the most suitable option for the journey. It is the first time they have chosen to fly Ryanair."
It is not the first time that Ryanair has got into trouble for using images of high profile passengers without their permission. The airline last year was made to pay France's President Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni 60,000 euros for using their photos with the slogan: "With Ryanair all my family can come to my wedding." Spain's prime minister, Jose Luis Zapatero, has also unwittingly featured in Ryanair's advertising.
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