Walter Finch
THE King Emeritus, former King Juan Carlos I, is finally set to return to Spain on April 19th after fleeing the country in disgrace.
He has been living in exile in Abu Dhabi since August 2020 after becoming embroiled in a scandal over a hidden fortune.
The former king intends to compete in the Spanish Cup sailing regatta in Sanxenxo in Galicia, with the Bribon crew in the six-metre class before leaving for Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Before arriving in Sanxenxo, Juan Carlos will make a stop in London to have a private lunch with King Charles III.
Each man is among a very select few in the world who will understand the preoccupations of the other and a friendship has grown because of it.
It is said that they first publicly met at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral last September.
The Spanish Royal Household has not made any official statement about the King Emeritus’ return to the country.
But it is known that they advised him not to travel in mid-May to avoid coinciding with the election campaign for the municipal and regional elections on May 28th.
Former King Juan Carlos I will be making his first return to his country after a scandal emerged in 2020 regarding reports of a hidden fortune.
It was reported that he had received millions of euros in undeclared funds from Saudi Arabia.
In March of that year, King Felipe VI renounced his inheritance from his father and withdrew the allowance that Juan Carlos had been receiving from the Crown.
This was done to try to put a firewall between Juan Carlos’ scandals and the Royal Family.
The scandal had caused widespread public outcry and led to an investigation into his finances by Spanish authorities.
Since then, Juan Carlos I has been living in Abu Dhabi, reportedly with the support of the Emirati government.
Despite ongoing investigations into his finances and the scandals that have plagued his reputation, he has expressed his intention to return to Spain on several occasions.
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