Historically, the anthem is first mentioned in 1761 in Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros' Libro de Ordenanza de los toques militares de la Infantería Española (Book of Regulations for the Military Signals of the Spanish Infantry) under the title Marcha Granadera (Grenadier March).
During the Second Republic (1930–1939), the "Himno de Riego" replaced it, but after Francisco Franco took power in 1939 he reinstated "La Marcha Real". Under his regime (1939–1975), the anthem was occasionally performed with lyrics by the poet José María Pemán. Those lyrics were never officially adopted.
Since then, the anthem has remained officially instrumental, though unofficial lyrics—including a high-profile attempt by pop singer Marta Sánchez in 2018—have periodically emerged.
In 2018 pop singer Marta Sánchez tried her hand at new words; Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy applauded the effort, but fellow musicians and the press were mostly critical. Later that same year, singer-songwriter Alejandro Abad unveiled another proposed set of lyrics.
