Last week, Spain’s Attorney General’s Office dropped the criminal investigation into former Spanish King Juan Carlos. Now he wants to travel to Spain.
Madrid – The Spanish King Felipe VI. has accepted the intention of his father, Exile Juan Carlos, who lives in exile in Abu Dhabi, to visit Spain.
This was announced by the royal family in Madrid on Monday evening. Just last Wednesday, the Spanish Attorney General’s Office dropped all criminal investigations into the former head of state’s financial misconduct. The royal family published a letter from the 84-year-old to his son, in which Juan Carlos stressed that he wanted to continue living in Abu Dhabi for the time being, but would visit his home country “frequently” to see family members and friends.
In the letter, Juan Carlos expresses regret about some “earlier events” in his “private life”, but also claims “legitimate pride” in his contribution to the democratic coexistence of Spain. Following the letter published on the Royal House’s website, it states succinctly: “His Majesty the King (Felipe VI) respects and understands the will of His Majesty the King Don Juan Carlos, which is expressed in his letter.”
Leaving Spain secretly in 2020
Juan Carlos, who was Spain’s head of state from 1975 to 2014, had secretly left his homeland in August 2020 in order – as it was said in a letter published later – to “facilitate” Felipe’s work against the background of the allegations. A return to Spain, even if only for short visits, is tricky for the royal family.
Because the justification of the judiciary for the termination of the investigation was “devastating”, as the journalist and connoisseur of the royal family Pilar Eyre wrote. The judiciary had spoken of “irregularities” in the ex-king’s financial management. These were not brought to justice because of the statute of limitations or the legal inviolability of the former monarch until his abdication in 2014 or because of back taxes. dpa
