The King Emeritus of Spain, Juan Carlos, will return to the country on Thursday (19), after spending almost two years in the United Arab Emirates, where he moved after being the subject of a corruption investigation.
In a note, the Royal House informed that Juan Carlos should stay in the country until next Monday (23). He will pass through the city of Sanxenxo, in Galicia, in northwestern Spain, and the capital Madrid, where he is expected to meet with his son, King Felipe VI, and his family, before returning to Abu Dhabi.
“This visit fits,” the statement said, “with the desire of His Majesty King don Juan Carlos to travel frequently to Spain to visit family and friends.”
His return is controversial, especially among politicians. Although Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez kept a low profile, lawmakers were very critical of the announcement. The spokesman for the ultra-left Podemos party, Pablo Echenique, said the former monarch “is laughing” at the Spaniards upon returning to the country.
A key figure in 20th-century Spanish history, Juan Carlos, who abdicated the throne in favor of his son in 2014, was popular for decades, leading the country’s democratic transition after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. His popularity , however, has been eroded by several scandals.
In June 2020, the Spanish Supreme Court Prosecutor opened an investigation into his possible involvement in a bribery scheme for the construction of a railway in Saudi Arabia.
The case came to light in 2018, when Corinna Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, Juan Carlos’ ex-lover, leaked recordings that showed that the king emeritus had charged a bribe for granting the tender for the trains to a consortium of Spanish companies. In August 2020, the monarch announced that he would leave Spain to help his son “exercise his responsibilities”. He, however, did not say where he was going. The fate was revealed after two weeks of speculation.
He continues to live in Abu Dhabi even after all investigations were closed in March of this year. According to the prosecution, among the reasons for the filing are the insufficiency of incriminating evidence, the statute of limitations for the crime and the inviolability of the head of state (while he was king).
The city of Sanxenxo, Juan Carlos’ first destination, will host, this weekend, a sailing regatta in which the boat that the monarch used to captain, the Bribón, must participate.
“After almost two years without being with us, it will be an opportunity to show him the affection we feel for him,” Telmo Martin, mayor of Sanxenxo, told state broadcaster TVE.
Martin said he did not know if the king emeritus would participate in the regatta.
