Spain’s King Felipe VI. and his father, former king Juan Carlos, went sailing on Saturday – but about 1000 kilometers apart. The monarch went on the water off Mallorca. The 55-year-old trained with his boat “Aifos” for the regatta “Copa del Rey” (King’s Cup), which starts on Monday off the Spanish Mediterranean island. Juan Carlos (85), meanwhile, took part in a regatta in Sanxenxo in the north-west of the country as skipper of the boat “Bribón”, which ends on Sunday.
Juan Carlos is only paying his third visit to his home country since he went into exile in Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2020. There is no official information about this. A meeting of the controversial old king with his son Felipe is not planned, the TV broadcaster RTVE and other media reported, citing “circles” of the old king, who has not yet given a statement. According to media reports, Felipe is waiting for Mrs. Letizia and the daughters Leonor and Sofía to start the traditional family summer vacation in the Marivent Palace in Palma – without grandpa, however.
Juan Carlos arrived in Spain in a private jet on Wednesday. According to the media, he wants to fly back to Abu Dhabi on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz said before the visit that Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, must use this new stay in Spain to finally “be accountable”.
A lot went wrong on the first home visit in May 2022: It was not just the media hype that caused discomfort in the royal family and the government at the time. Juan Carlos’ behavior was criticized as “immodest”. Government spokesman complained at the time that he had “missed the chance” to ask the citizens for forgiveness. The second visit three months ago was quieter and more discreet.
In the spring of 2022, all criminal investigations into financial irregularities against the man from the Bourbon family were dropped in Spain. At the time, it was assumed that Juan Carlos, who had been Spain’s head of state for almost four decades, would soon return home for good. But it didn’t happen that way. According to the media, both the royal family and the left-wing government are against a return to Spain.
