HAVE YOU EVER seen a king apologize? Now you have:

Spain's King Juan Carlos made a rare public apology Wednesday for his recent hunting trip to Africa that has caused an outcry in Spain and abroad for its expense during the nation's economic crisis and for hunting elephants.

"I am very sorry. I made a mistake and it won't happen again," the king told Spanish state television TVE as he left a Madrid hospital, where he underwent hip surgery last weekend after falling on the hunting trip in Botswana.

I'm not a monarchist, but I find his apology commendable. Basically because it's clear and absolute. I have never seen a public figure in Spain apologize without the usual weasel "I'm sorry you were offended" kind, as if it was the other people's fault for being easily offended, instead of your own for what you did.