Former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia News and Discussion

[TLLK]

Lea ?ntegra la carta del Rey Juan Carlos I en la que anuncia su retirada (In Spanish)

King Juan Carlos official announcement of retirement coming five years after his abdication. This period will begin on June 2, 2019.

IMO this is a good time for him to end his public life. He's seen his son through to his ascension and a five year transition however JC at 80 years of age is increasingly looking more frail and is finding it difficult to stand/walk without assistance.

[Blue Clover]

I think after a long life in the public eye as a Crown Prince and King of Spain, taking a break at the age of 80 could be wonderful for him. A new chapter!

[TLLK]

In other Spanish royal news, King Juan Carlos eldest sister is undergoing cancer treatment.

King Felipe?s aunt, Infanta Pilar, diagnosed with cancer ? Royal Central

Also going back to Juan Carlos' retirement announcement, apparently the former king's mother and sisters have also had issues with their hips as they've aged so this appears to be a genetic concern. Hopefully none of his children or his nieces/nephews will have the same problems in the future.

Also Queen Sofia will continue with her work visiting her patronages/charities and assisting her son and daughter-in-law. The Spanish constitution limits the size of the working royal family to the monarch/consort and adult children of the monarch. Neither King Juan Carlos or King Felipe can have their siblings assist them once they are enthroned so the Infantas Pilar, Maria and Elena are no longer official representatives. However they do appear at some national and family events during the year.
Double post auto-merged: May 28, 2019, 03:50:20 PM

More information regarding Juan Carlos' announcement in English.

Spain?s monarchy: Former Spanish King Juan Carlos I to retire from public life | In English | EL PA?S

[Blue Clover]

This is sad. I hope her treatment goes well.

[TLLK]

 I agree. Also  when I looked at the photos from funeral of GD Jean I had realized how much JC and his reigning/abdicated peers have truly aged in the past five years or so especially Juan Carlos, Albert II, and Constantine who now all need canes to or other forms of assistance to walk. Pilar is older than her brother JC so she's in her mid-eighties now.

[Blue Clover]

Yes, I have noticed the changes as well. Juan Carlos probably wants to sit back and relax - have a proper retirement. We will probably see him out and about with his family and enjoying himself.

Doesn't the Spanish royal family have an annual summer vacation in Mallorca?

[TLLK]

Yes they do go to Mallorca every summer and Palma every Easter. However I have read that they'll also take private trips away from the usual destinations.

[Blue Clover]

It's nice that the family gathers together every summer.

[PrincessOfPeace]

Spanish authorities are investigating whether Juan Carlos - the former King of Spain - received a secret commission for helping to win a 5.5 billion Saudi rail deal, after his former mistress made the allegations privately.

German Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein has been placed under investigation in relation to audio recordings of a meeting between herself and retired Spanish police commissioner Jose Manuel Villarejo at her London home in 2015.

The investigation into the conversation was initially closed in 2018, but it was reopened yesterday after new evidence emerged, The Times reported, with police discovering other copies of the conversation.

More: Former mistress of Spain's ex-king Juan Carlos is placed under investigation | Daily Mail Online

[TLLK]

BREAKING: King Juan Carlos of Spain leaves country in exile amid corruption scandal ? Royal Central   :o

King Juan Carlos of Spain is to leave the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, his home for half a century, as controversy around his financial affairs grows. The former monarch, who ruled Spain between 1975 and 2014, will leave for an undisclosed location. The announcement was made by the Royal Household.

The allegations surrounding Juan Carlos have grown over the past months. He is under investigation over claims he hid money that came to him via a rail contract in bank accounts in Switzerland. In March 2020, Felipe VI declared publicly that he would not take any personal inheritance from his father and he withdrew the allowances being paid to Juan Carlos.

[Macrobug67]

He certainly is making life difficult for his son

[QueenAlex]

Does this mean he's leaving his wife?   It is pretty bad for poor Felipe and a shame becuase Juan DId do a good job as kigng....

[TLLK]

Spain?s former King Juan Carlos flees country after investigation launched into corruption | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

The announcement was made by the Spanish royal family in a statement released this afternoon.

In June, Spain's Supreme Court opened an investigation into the former head of state's involevment with a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia.

He reportedly received $100 million from the late Saudi King.

Mr Carlos, 82, has repeatedly declined to comment on the allegations.

@QueenAlex - It would appear that he's not only leaving Queen Sofia but his country. Born in exile and now he's going into exile again. This is astounding news.

@Macrobug67 - I am so sorry for King Felipe and the trouble that his sister Cristina and father King Juan Carlos have brought on to his reign. Juan Carlos was a well respected leader for decades.

https://www.casareal.es/sitios/listasaux/Documents/Comunicados/20200803_comunicado.pdf  The official announcement (in Spanish.)

Spain's embattled ex-King Juan Carlos to leave country - BBC News

[QueenAlex]

It is rather tragic when he had returned to Spain and done a good job at steering the country into democracy...

[PrincessOfPeace]

According to CNN hes already living abroad. Why do I think the country probably has no extradition treaty with Spain.

[TLLK]

@PrincessOfPeace - Yes that is a likely possibility. What a stunning fall from grace! :no:

[Curryong]

Latest reports in the Spanish Press are that Juan Carlos has apparently gone to stay in Portugal. He's quite used to that country. I believe he lived there with his parents until 1976 while  they were in exile. I seem to remember that it was in their villa there that Juan Carlos and his younger brother Alfonso were messing about with a pistol and his brother was accidentally fatally shot.

[FanDianaFancy]

The money should be paid to the Spainish govt.

[Curryong]

Like father like daughter Cristina (and son in law) it seems, though certainly Juan Carlos was a great King until his later years. He was able to manoevre Spain through those very delicately balanced early decades of constitutional democracy after the Franco regime. Not an easy country to rule over by any means.

I think Queen Sophia will stay put in Spain. She remains popular there and she will want to support her son. There's no great incentive for Sophia to live in some villa abroad with a man who humiliated her again and again in their private life. Their marriage has been a shell for years, and she has her own life in Spain with her son, daughter Elena and her grandchildren. She's quite comfortable where she is, IMO.

[TLLK]

Estoril - Wikipedia

During the Second World War, the region was a centre of spies and diplomatic secrecy, situations that provided the region with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and sophistication.[12] Due to the vision of Fausto Cardoso de Figueiredo and his business partner Augusto Carreira de Sousa, it became an international tourist destination both during and after the Second World War.[12]

During that time, several dignitaries and exiles came to Estoril: Mikl?s Horthy, the regent of Hungary (lived and died in exile after the Second World War); the Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona (father of Juan Carlos I of Spain) and the King resided in the territory, as did Umberto II of Italy and Carol II of Romania.[12] Former King Edward VIII the Duke of Windsor, briefly resided in an Estoril villa as more direct and reliably safe routes to London from France for his escape from France were cut off by Blitzkrieg during the invasion.

I understand that he might have moved to Estoril, Portugal.
I agree @Curryong that Queen Sofia along with her sister Princess Irene of Greece will continue to live at Zarzuela in Madrid. She's closer to her elder daughter son and grandchildren in Madrid. It isn't too far to Switzerland to see Infanta Cristina and her family.

[PrincessOfPeace]

Spanish royal family: The downfall of Spain?s Juan Carlos I | Opinion | EL PA?S in English

King Carlos is 'staying in the Dominican Republic' after being 'forced into exile' | Daily Mail Online

[Curryong]

I'm surprised it's the Dominican Republic JC's staying in quite frankly, unless he's really terrified of extradition. I know the SRF have friends all over the world including South and Central America, but he's a very old man and it's quite a way from Spain and Switzerland and his family.

If it's safe for him to do so I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to slither back somewhere nearer the Iberian Peninsular in a few months. One things for sure, I will be flabbergasted if Sophia decides to join JUan Carlos in the DR. Portugal would be bad enough!  Perhaps he can call on an old flame to be a companion and help while away his days...!

[TLLK]

@Curryong-I am surprised as well that the DR would be the final destination. Somehow I believe that eventually due to ill health, that JC will return to either Portugal or Spain. I don't believe that he'll spend his last days in exile.

[wannable]

I understand he usually would go summer sailing at DR and has 3 BFF there; the actual president Medina, the Fujol brothers and Gustavo Cisneros.  He has stayed in their homes for weeks on end or every time he had problems with Sofia, low profile, i.e. long summer rest whilst practicing sailing.

Note: My brother and his wife live in Punta Cana, DR.  They own the biggest bilingual school and the only one with USA standards registered in the Education State Department USA gov.  When I visit them, I usually stay in one of the best resorts, pay all in one with a club med like wrist band.

[TLLK]

@wannable- Side note-I'm pretty sure that my husband's cousin and his wife married at a resort in Punta Cana, DR.

Not surprised that JC had a sailing spot or two around the globe when he was actively sailing and when the couple were on one of their frequent breaks from each other.

IMVHO Sofia now has nearly everything she could have wanted out of her 50 plus year association with the Borbons. She's the respected Queen emeritus with her son on the throne. Her elder daughter Infanta Elena seems content with her post divorce life. If it wasn't for the sticky situation with Cristina and Inaki, life would be more or less perfect.