Why do people in Spain have a lisp?

Answer 1

Many people say that this is because there was a Spanish King who had a lisp. So as not to embarrass him, his courtiers spoke with a lisp as well, which in turn led other educated people to speak with a lisp. Because the elites were speaking with a lisp, other less educated people, peasants, etc. all began speaking with a lisp until finally everyone in the country spoke that way in order not to be left out.

Unfortunately, that story is just an urban legend. This becomes obvious if you listen carefully to the way Spaniards talk: they pronounce c's and z's with a lisp, or ceceo, but not s's. The difference is just a regional difference, like how English speakers from England tend not to pronounce the r's at the end of words.