Mrs. Henrica Gonzalez spoke out last night to reveal that contrary to popular belief, almost everyone in Madrid had expected the Spanish Inquisition.

“Oh yes of course we did. As soon as young Ferdinand 2 came to the throne we knew there were going to be fireworks. I mean, even as a toddler he was a nasty little bugger. He used to pull the wings off butterflies and said he was ‘converting’ them. It got to the stage where his only friends were the Catholic priests. I mean, nothing wrong with that I suppose but they didn’t curb him. In fact they used to encourage him if anything.”

Mrs Gonzalez looked around, and adjusted her false beard, which had slipped.

“And as for the Inquisitors, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were just a pub quiz team at the AotoDaFe Wine Bar you know, until they got in with Ferdy. Long story short – nice red cloaks – unlimited power – there’s only one way after that.

“ Ferdy soon moved on up the scale and from butterflies it went to newts, frogs, sheep, Protestants, Jews and the odd Mormon. I’ll say this for him in many ways he was ahead of his time.”

“The one thing we didn’t expect was Luther’s translation of the Bible into the vernacular thus rendering it accessible to the common people. Well the common people of Germany that is.

That was the real shocker.”