New Unflattering Book About King Juan Carlos

[Blue Clover]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2090388/King-Spain-serial-womaniser-pass-Princess-Diana.html

[wannable]

The Solitude of the Queen by Pilar Eyre, which is likely to prove controversial in the Catholic country, claims the king made a 'tactile' advance to Diana while she and Charles were on holiday in Majorca in the 1980s.
It follows much-derided allegations made in 2004 by Lady Colin Campbell that the princess had a fling with Juan Carlos while on a cruise in August 1986 and then again the following April.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2090388/King-Spain-serial-womaniser-pass-Princess-Diana.html#ixzz1kKPgqpP3 

Seriously?

[cinrit]

^^ That must have happened right after her fling with John F. Kennedy, Jr. :P

Cindy

[wannable]

I shall "one day" buy the books and read them all, then I can properly participate in the discussion.  :high5:

But now, I'm off to the Royal Music, Windsor has posted various themes associated to the British Royal Family.

[Bensgal]

I quickly scanned the article; so due to the fact the King was smiling when he kissed Diana's hand and she appeared embarrassed this combination of gestures equals an affair between them? Good grief...

[memememe]

I remember a number of stories coming out in the 1980s, when Charles and Diana would frequently visit the Spanish royal family, that Diana flirted with Juan Carlos (not the other way round by the way).

It would actually fit in as she was a known flirt and tease when it came to men, right from the beginning.

[Blue Clover]

For as long as I can remember I have heard rumors that the King does not necessarily take his marriage vows to heart, to put it nicely, so I am not shocked by these allegations. If any of the rumors are true, I think the real victim is the Queen, who has been in a loveless marriage for so many years. I wouldn't bet much on the Lady Diana rumors, but my guess is that the rumors about the other ladies could be true.

[Hale]

Royal's don't have the kind of morals we commoners have.   :shrug:

[memememe]

From my experience they have the same morals we have.  Look at the divorce rate in the ordinary community - because of cheating by one or the other spouses.

The difference is that they are expected to stay together whereas in the ordinary world they would have divorced years ago and gone their separate ways.

[Hale]

The fact they are expected to stay with one another for the sake of public maybe the reasons which imbumes them with a laissez faire approach to marriage.

Do all commoners enter into a marriage with the accepted view of 'boys will be boys?'

[Blue Clover]

Hale,
Good point! Your point really puts much of this behavior, when it happens among royals, into perspective, never thought of it that way, but it makes perfect sense. :thumbsup:

From my experience they have the same morals we have.  Look at the divorce rate in the ordinary community - because of cheating by one or the other spouses.

The difference is that they are expected to stay together whereas in the ordinary world they would have divorced years ago and gone their separate ways.

Memememe,
I agree with this, more is expected of them as far as staying in a marriage, unless it completely breaks down past the point of salvageable. Which brings to mind one very famous royal couple.  :nod:

[Hale]

 :thanks:  Blue Clove.

It's Juan Carlos wife I feel sorry for.  Then again, it is also accepted among royals that wives should also seek solace outside of their marriage beds providing all the heirs have been provided for and that they remain discreet.

[Blue Clover]

Hale,
You are welcome!  :flower:   I agree, whenever I hear rumors about the King's behavior I have always thought, "Poor Queen Sophia!" However, they would not allow the men to roam without permitting women an outlet for affection, love, and companionship as well. What you are saying makes perfect sense, that once all obligations are met in the marriage, then irreconcilable differences can be settled in other ways.

[Wilkat]

Charles and Diana were not "frequent visitors of the Spanish royals." Not at all. The Spanish royals didn't attend the Wales wedding either. King Juan Carlos has a long reputation for womanizing. In this video, it looks more like Felipe and Diana.  :laugh10: No ,really, Juan Carlos helps Harry with his shoe and the boys play with a puppy. They are the only ones attended by their mother.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye8ed19KIac

I think Queen Sofia deserves a medal for putting up with Juan Carlos but she was told she would have an empty life without him because he would have the children and she would be exiled to Paris. That was in the Express.

[Blue Clover]

Wilkat,
Interesting about Queen Sophia's limited options, I guess Juan Carlos could have technically found another Queen if Sophia got fed up with the marriage and wanted to move on.

[memememe]

Althought the Spanish royals didn't attend the wedding - for political reasons and not personal ones (Charles and Diana went to Gibraltor as part of the honeymoon cruise) they did visit them privately quite often in the 80s.

Sophia is a 2nd cousin of Charles - being the sister of King Constantine of Greece and Juan Carlos is also closely related being a descendent of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Ena.

The two couples would get together every couple of years - not on official visits - but private ones - just as the Spanish royals would visit their relatives in England privately every year or so as well.  We don't always know when the royals get together for their private visits but they do do so (I read somewhere that the Danish Queen always has lunch with Elizabeth when she visits London on her annual visit there - but it doesn't get into the official records as they are private visits).

[Wilkat]

Wilkat,
Interesting about Queen Sophia's limited options, I guess Juan Carlos could have technically found another Queen if Sophia got fed up with the marriage and wanted to move on.

It looks like the wife gets the dregs, Blue Clover. They would probably say she was a bit mad and imagined that he had all those flings. Sound familiar? Sofia was born a royal and yet she has been treated like a dog because of that double standard. The book claims that the people think he is a sly old fox and accept his unfaithfulness to his wife and don't care a lot for her because she isn't Spanish.  :shrug:

[Blue Clover]

memememe,
Interesting post!  :goodpost: Sometimes we forget how closely related the royal houses are and how they probably like to get together with their relatives, privately, now and again!  :D

Wilkat,
So sad! I guess I always thought Queen Sophia had more power because she was born royal and seems so dignified, kind, and pleasant as a person. I always forget that she isn't Spanish by birth, she fits in with the culture, and has served the country very well as Queen :thumbsup:.
I think she is jewel in the King's crown.

[cinrit]

It looks like the wife gets the dregs, Blue Clover. They would probably say she was a bit mad and imagined that he had all those flings. Sound familiar? Sofia was born a royal and yet she has been treated like a dog because of that double standard. The book claims that the people think he is a sly old fox and accept his unfaithfulness to his wife and don't care a lot for her because she isn't Spanish.  :shrug:

I'm really sorry to learn that.  Queen Sofia is my favorite European Queen. :(

Cindy

[Wilkat]

She must take a lot of comfort in her children and grandchildren but it is very sad she has had to spend her life in such a painful way.

[Blue Clover]

Tonight this is DM's top story. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2099114/Did-Spains-King-Don-Juan-Carlos-affair-Diana.html

This is so sad, I feel so sorry for Queen Sophia after reading this, how tragic to spend your life this way.  :no:

"By 1968, they had produced two daughters and Crown Prince Felipe. But though Sofia had fallen deeply in love with her husband, Eyre says Juan Carlos was still playing the field."

"The tragedy is that despite his behaviour, the Queen appears to be as captivated by her husband as she was when they married 40 years ago. At a recent family funeral she was seen holding tight to him and sobbing on his shoulder as if they were still the closest of companions."

[Princesse Grace]

I am reading this book  but I am still at page 100.

[Blue Clover]

Princess Grace,
I really want to read it, is it available in the US? Now I have enormous sympathy for the Queen, my admiration for her has increased so much, she is a strong lady.