Mexico's president-elect says Spain's king is not invited to her inauguration because the crown never answered an apology demand over its colonial legacy.

The Spanish king is not on the guest list for President-elect Sheinbaum's inauguration, reviving a diplomatic spat between Mexico and Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has expressed his ‘great sadness’ over the row, which he blamed on political motivations

A fight dating back more than five centuries reemerged on Wednesday as Mexico's incoming president defended a decision to not invite the Spanish king to her inauguration next week after the monarch declined to apologize for colonial-era abuses.

Mexican president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum angered Spain on Wednesday by barring its King Felipe VI from her swearing-in ceremony, accusing him of failing to acknowledge harm caused by his country's conquest of Mexico five centuries ago.

Spain lodged a formal complaint to Mexico, as King Felipe VI was left out of the new president’s inauguration.

Relations between Mexico’s president-elect and Spain are off to a bad start over grievances about abuses against Indigenous peoples committed by Spanish conquistadors centuries ago.

Mexico asked for an apology from King Felipe VI over the Spanish conquest and says it didn’t receive a response.