Juan Carlos is back in Spain. However, the controversial old king is arousing less and less interest in his homeland. This time the 85-year-old was not followed by dozens of journalists after landing.
The former king Juan Carlos, who lives in exile in Abu Dhabi, has arrived in Spain for a new visit home. The private jet landed in Vigo in the northwest of the country, as seen on state TV channel RTVE. There is currently no official information about the 85-year-old’s fourth visit to Spain since his departure into exile a good three years ago.
According to reports from RTVE and other media that focus on “circles” of the father of King Felipe VI. As with all previous visits home, Juan Carlos plans to take part in a sailing regatta in Sanxenxo, not far from Vigo. It takes place between Thursday and Sunday.
He also wanted to visit friends. Juan Carlos will once again stay at the house of a close friend, the entrepreneur Pedro Campos, RTVE reported. A meeting with son Felipe is “in principle” not planned.
No comment from Madrid
The ex-monarch’s home visits are arousing less and less interest in Spain. Even before the last visit at the end of July, the left-wing government had again demanded that Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, finally provide explanations and apologize to the citizens. This time, however, there was no comment from Madrid for the time being. And no 24/7 media coverage either.
A lot went wrong on the first visit home in May 2022. It wasn’t just the media hype that made the royal family and the government uncomfortable. Juan Carlos’ behavior was criticized as “immodest”. Visits number two and three in April and July of this year were much more discreet.
In spring 2022, all criminal investigations into financial irregularities against Juan Carlos were closed in Spain. It was therefore assumed at the time that the Bourbon, who was head of state of Spain for almost four decades, would soon return home for good. But this assumption turned out to be wrong. According to the media, both the royal family and the left-wing government are still against a return.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
