Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)
Queen Letizia sat next to her father in law, former King Juan Carlos at the Queen’s funeral today in London.
The controversial arrival of emeritus monarch Juan Carlos from exile in the Middle East meant Spain’s current King Felipe had to publicly sit next to his disgraced father, who is facing trial in the UK.
Juan Carlos – who is facing court in London next year over his ex-mistress and undeclared income – also sat next to his estranged wife Sofia at the service at Westminster Abbey.
The relationship between the group looked decidedly tense understandably.
They sat in a very prominent position below the pulpit just 10ft from ‘aunt Lilibet’.
The disgraced monarch who abdicated in 2014 and now lives in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates, is facing a personal injury claim for damages brought by Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, 58 who alleges he sent the Spanish secret service to place under illegal surveillance and harass her after their break-up while she was living in the UK.
In March, a High Court judge rejected the 84 year-old royal’s claim that he had state immunity and that English courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case.
The Spanish royals arrived over the weekend and were seen on Sunday paying their respects, while the Queen lay in state at Westminster.
They were among dignitaries, including US and French leaders Biden and Macron, from over two dozen countries.
The Queen’s coffin was carried on the state funeral gun carriage and towed by 142 sailors from the Royal Navy.
The sombre passage took just eight minutes from Westminster Hall to the Abbey.
Snipers were positioned on London rooftops ahead of what police have described as the biggest British security operation in history.
