Juan Carlos’s visits to his homeland have been increasing for some time now. This year he is there for the fourth time. But there is no longer any trace of media hype.
The visits home of the controversial former Spanish king Juan Carlos are becoming more and more frequent. The 85-year-old, who has been living in exile in Abu Dhabi for over three years, arrived in Vigo, in the northwest of the country, on Monday evening by private jet, as seen on state TV channel RTVE. Juan Carlos wanted to take part in a multi-day sailing regatta again in Sanxenxo, not far from Vigo, RTVE reported. However, there was no official information about the visit.
It is only Juan Carlos’ sixth visit home since he went into exile in August 2020. But four have taken place this year. Sanxenxo is almost always the goal, most recently at the end of September. On October 31, the ex-monarch was in Madrid to attend the private birthday party of granddaughter Leonor, the 18-year-old Crown Princess.
The visits of the father of King Felipe VI are attracting less and less interest in Spain. This time there were hardly any onlookers in Vigo and only a small media presence, RTVE noted. A lot went wrong on the first visit home in May 2022. It wasn’t just the huge media hype that caused discomfort among the royal family and the government. Juan Carlos’ behavior was criticized as “immodest”. He now behaves more inconspicuously.
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 has so far proven 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.
