At the weekend, the Spanish royals began their summer vacation in Mallorca. But one thing is missing: Old King Juan Carlos has been living in the desert emirate of Abu Dhabi for a year.
Madrid / Abu Dhabi – Nobody in Spain would have thought that was possible: Old King Juan Carlos, once one of the most popular monarchs in Europe, has been living in exile in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi for a year, far from his wife and family.
Since he secretly left his home on August 3, 2020, the 83-year-old has been silent. No public statement, no announcement, hardly any photos. The royal family and the government in Madrid have not yet revealed anything concrete about the life of the former head of state in the desert. The last picture of Juan Carlos – at the table with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Nahjan – is from February.
The Bourbone, harassed at home by judicial investigations, corruption allegations and other affairs, has literally gone into hiding. The newspaper “ABC” speaks of an “iron information blockade” in which even the most tricky paparazzi are successfully kept at a distance in Abu Dhabi. It’s no secret: Juan Carlos should and wants the already severely battered image of the Spanish royal family, which since his abdication a good seven years ago his son Felipe VI. no longer cause damage.
A return is not planned for the time being
A return to Spain is therefore currently not an option at all, wrote two papers on Sunday that have very good contacts in the Zarzuela Palace northwest of Madrid, the conservative “El Mundo” and the monarchist “ABC”. At least not before all judicial investigations have been completed.
The journalist and writer Pilar Eyre, who is also very familiar with the royal family, goes much further than these media. “I believe that he (Juan Carlos) will never return. He will die in exile, ”says the 69-year-old.
A premature return of the scandal-ridden man would be very damaging to the “Casa Real”, as all experts agree. But even at a distance of more than 5600 kilometers, the “Rey emérito”, the retired king, could cause problems.
On the occasion of the anniversary, Eyre wrote on Twitter that the death of the ex-monarch in exile, who has been physically weakened by around 20 operations, is what is currently causing the royal family and the government the greatest concern. This is how the royal family expert from “El Mundo” sees it: “It would be a scandal if he died abroad. That would seriously affect Felipe ”, says Marina Pina.
It was exactly one year ago: On August 3, 2020, the Old King left his homeland secretly and with an unknown destination. In the midst of wild media speculation, the royal family took two weeks to unravel the secret. The amazement was great, as was the indignation. The junior partner of the left-wing government even talked about “escape”, although Juan Carlos’ lawyer asserted that his client was still available to the Spanish judiciary.
Several investigations opened
Royals and the government had initially hoped that the exit would smooth the waves of the scandals relatively quickly. The stay abroad will probably only last a few months, the media also estimated. But the hopes were not fulfilled. On the contrary: the Supreme Court and the tax authorities have launched several investigations since June 2020 in connection with the allegedly illegal financial activities of Juan Carlos.
It concerns suspected tax fraud and money laundering, alleged bribery payments during the construction of a high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia, allegedly undeclared donation income and also secret bank accounts abroad. The “Casa Real” has not issued any statements or denials at all.
Meanwhile, Juan Carlos is silent and hides, but he did not remain idle in Abu Dhabi. To avert criminal proceedings for tax fraud, he initially paid a good 678,000 euros at the end of 2020, and in February of this year a further 4.4 million in tax debts, as his lawyer confirmed. These back payments did not calm the minds in any way. Rather, they led to new investigations by the authorities, and indignation grew among many critics.
According to the media, Juan Carlos has so far only been visited by his daughters Elena and Cristina in Abu Dhabi. Felipe started her summer vacation on Mallorca at the weekend with his wife Letizia and their two daughters, Crown Princess Leonor (15) and Infanta Sofía (14). The grandmother, Juan Carlos’ wife Sofía (82), is in Palma’s Marivent Palace.
The man, who was king for almost 39 years and was hailed as the “savior” of Spanish democracy because he forced a group of putschists to give up with a resolute speech in 1981, spends his old age shielded, lonely and frowned upon. dpa
