The cross-section of Spanish society that was prepared to go along with Juan Carlos's accession represented a slightly more nuanced situation than 'he was Franco's heir', although he was. Obviously he was also acceptable to the considerable number of monarchists, but only after some manoeuvring to clear the line of succession, including his father's renouncing his claims post hoc to the coronation. J-C was also acceptable to a great many moderates who saw a European constitutional monarchy as a compromise that would not lead to a second civil war: the euro-communists went along with it too. The fact that we have a king and a president is another fudge.
However a great many people describe themselves as 'more Juan-Carlist than monarchist' and feel deprived of the debate that would have ensued if Juanca (pronounced wanker) had died. A lot of people would have said 'Well that got out us out of a mess, but should the monarchy continue?' His abdication and the seamless take-over of his lacklustre heir has been very clever, but hasn't pleased many reluctant monarchists of my age.
Arnaldo Otegi, somebody a bit like Gerry Adams but in the Basque Country, once said something like 'Perhaps we can all be Spanish when the country ceases to exist' and I know a lot of people who say that, or something like it. But I don't move in typical circles.
If Spain was more like Scandinavia, or the British Isles in the event of an independent Scotland, then how different would things really be? If the 'Unionists' for want of a better term behave like this then I can see more people saying 'What the hell? Not in my name'