¡Feliz Navidad! More Christmas traditions from Spain {Gadling}

Dec 26th 2010 12:42AM I'm Canadian, and grew up listening to my queen's Christmas Speech to the Commonwealth (yeah, I know she's the queen of the UK, but my constitution says she's my queen as well, and I have no problem with that - better than what happens in other countries - and the one south of me comes to mind..... )

I write here, as I was puzzled - I spent Christmas 2005 in Costa Rica, and was stunned to turn the TV on Christmas Day to see an address by the King of Spain being broadcast to a nation that rebelled/gained independence from Spain almost 200 years ago.

Can someone explain why these "independent" countries broadcast the Spanish king's speech?