“And, of course, 'La Macarena' played: Juan Carlos I's birthday in Abu Dhabi, cover of 'Hello!'

“The 86th anniversary of King Juan Carlos, which was presented as a good time for a celebration, began with a lunch in one of the restaurants of the Four Seasons hotel in Abu Dhabi – opposite Zaya Nurai – and ended with a night of flamenco that “The guests really enjoyed it,” is how the magazine's chronicle begins!Hello! It was dedicated to the celebration of the birthday of the emeritus king in his country of residence, 7,500 kilometers from Spain, where he settled in August 2020 to prevent the scandals related to his assets that he was then involved in from damaging the Crown. “The guests, around 100 people, made the boat trip from Abu Dhabi and docked on the island where he lives, Zaya Nurai,” they explained from the publication. “When they arrived at the villa, they found a giant Christmas tree decorated in red and white, a Spanish flag flanking the door to the ceiling, and Don Juan Carlos waiting with open arms to receive them and his family in line.”

Among these 100 guests were some relatives—their daughters, the Infantas Elena and Cristina, as well as the former's two children, Victoria Federica and Felipe de Marichalar, and two of the latter's children, Pablo and Irene Urdangarín—and many friends. of the former monarch. In fact, and as reported in the publication, the initiative for this party was Pedro Campos, Juan Carlos's racing partner, as well as the president of the Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo and historical reference of Spanish sailing, Miguel Arias, owner of the restaurant. Flanagan ―where the emeritus always went with his family during his vacations in Mallorca―, the lawyer Jerónimo Páez, and the doctor Eduardo Anitua, also a friend of Juan Carlos, in addition to his dentist: “The four of them took charge, with the help of the infantas Elena and Cristina, from the organization,” says the publication. The absences are also notable: no sign of Queen Sofia, who is in Athens for a mass in memory of her brother, King Constantine, on the anniversary of her death. Infanta Cristina's other children, Miguel and Juan Urdangarin, were absent for work reasons.

In addition to the names of some guests, the popular publication has also given details about the party: “Zero protocol and no dress code,” they explained from Hello!. The dinner was also informal: “ORn cocktail followed by a buffet based on local products. It was prepared by a company catering of the Emirates and was served in different spaces, although most of the party took place between the porch of the house and the terrace, which has spectacular views of the sea and the garden.” Several guests, such as Dr. Eduardo Anitua or Infanta Elena, took the microphone at some point during the evening to dedicate a few words to the emeritus: “They highlighted the role of King Juan Carlos as a modernizer of the Spanish economy and his historical figure.” The magazine also confirms that all the guests paid for both the trip and the stay.

And then the party

“After dinner, the infantas Elena and Cristina took care of taking out the cake with chocolate icing. fondant and his father's coat of arms stamped on it, which also featured a photograph of him on board the Rascal. Then the Happy Birthday, Don Juan Carlos blew out the candles, cut the cake with a saber… and the party began.” A flamenco group and Antonio Romero and Rafael Ruiz, better known as Los del Río, were in charge of providing the musical note: “Los del Río started singing sevillanas and, of course, it sounded The Macarena”. From Hello! They report that the party lasted until two in the morning, and that the infantas were the first to start dancing. “His daughters would extend their stay for a few more hours before also separating – Doña Cristina returned to Geneva and Doña Elena, to Madrid – and, finally, Don Juan Carlos would be left alone again, although with his grandson Felipe, as a neighbor.”

They explained from the magazine that the king emeritus “begins 2024 with an open horizon and all the excitement in the world to return to the sea and Madrid, to enjoy the city for a few days, being able to stay the night in the Zarzuela palace.” Also that, in his scale of priorities, “what is really important is to be with his family, to be together again, as was seen on his last trip to Madrid.” It was during Infanta Elena's 60th birthday, celebrated in Madrid on December 20, and that she achieved something unusual: reunite the majority of the Royal Family. In addition to the king emeritus, the infanta's birthday brought together Doña Sofía, kings Felipe and Letizia and almost all the members of the Borbón and Grecia family, at a meal that took place in a restaurant in the Madrid district of Chamartín.