Madrid.- The emeritus king Juan Carlos I turns five years old this Sunday outside of Spain, a period that began in August 2020 when he decided to move his residence to Abu Dhabi. Since then, his return to the country has been occasional and, in most cases, to participate in sailing regattas in Sanxenxo, Pontevedra.
Juan Carlos I’s departure occurred shortly after King Felipe VI withdrew his allowance and renounced his father’s personal inheritance, after learning of the existence of an ‘offshore’ company linked to a donation of 65 million euros from Saudi Arabia. At that time, the emeritus informed by letter that his decision sought to “provide the best service to the Spanish people and institutions”.
Subsequently, Juan Carlos I himself confirmed that he was establishing his residence in Abu Dhabi for personal reasons, seeking the necessary tranquility for his current stage of life. Although he left open the possibility of returning to live in Spain, this has not materialized. The investigations into his assets were archived due to statute of limitations or due to events that occurred before 2014, when he enjoyed inviolability as head of state.
This year also marks eleven years since he announced his abdication in favor of Felipe VI, a period in which he stopped representing the Crown and participating in official events. At 87 years old, he has traveled to Pontevedra on four occasions in recent months, staying at the house of his friend Pedro Campos, president of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, where the ‘Bribón’ is located, a boat of which he is still the patron.
During her July visit, she did not coincide with King Felipe VI or Princess Leonor, who arrived in Pontevedra days later aboard the ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano. However, in September 2024, she did have a family meeting with the King, Queen, and the heir to the throne at the Naval School of Marín.
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In May, he was also in Galicia, coinciding with the conciliation act with the former president of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla, without reaching an agreement. This opens the possibility of a lawsuit for the right to honor due to statements that he considers offensive.
Juan Carlos I has expressed that he feels his “history is being stolen from him,” which is why he will publish his memoirs at the end of the year under the title Reconciliation, a first-person account of his reign and personal life.
Furthermore, November 22nd will mark the 50th anniversary of his proclamation as King of Spain by the General Courts.
