The emeritus king has decided “to continue residing permanently and stable in Abu Dhabi”, although he will travel “frequently” to Spain. This was communicated this Monday to his son, Felipe VI, in a letter made public by the King’s House. Juan Carlos I leaves the door open to return to reside in Spain in the future, although he clarifies that in that case his place of residence would be “private areas”, outside the Palacio de La Zarzuela.
The formula chosen to make public the decision of Juan Carlos I about his future has been the same that was used to publicize his departure from Spain, on August 3, 2020: a letter to his son that the Royal House has released.
The letter clears up doubts about the attitude that the emeritus king would take once the Prosecutor’s Office announced last week the filing of the three open investigations into his assets abroad. The public ministry concluded that, although alleged tax crimes had been committed, these would be prescribed or would not be prosecutable as the former head of state enjoyed immunity until his abdication in 2014.
“I prefer, at this time, for reasons that belong to my private sphere and that only affect me, to continue residing permanently and stable in Abu Dhabi, where I have found peace of mind, especially for this period of my life,” says the king emeritus in the letter. But then he adds: “Although, naturally, I will frequently return to Spain, which I always carry in my heart, to visit family and friends.”
According to media close to the king emeritus, he intends to visit Spain in the coming weeks but, contrary to what had been considered, he will not stay here or move to a third country, such as the Dominican Republic or Portugal, but rather He will continue in the United Arab Emirates (USA), where he has all the comforts and medical attention, as a guest of Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
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Juan Carlos I confirms that he will remain on the sidelines of public life, from which he officially retired in May 2019, for which he points out that, both in the visits he makes to Spain, “as if in the future he would reside again” of permanently in his country, he intends to “organize” his personal life and his “place of residence in areas of a private nature, in order to continue enjoying the greatest possible privacy.”
He will not return to La Zarzuela
In other words, the king emeritus renounced, contrary to what he had repeatedly stated in private, his wish to return to reside in the palace of La Zarzuela. And he will not occupy any National Heritage residence during his stays in Spain, but will stay in private homes.
The letter concludes by transferring to the King the “wish” of Juan Carlos I that he make its content public “for the knowledge of all Spaniards”, on the date that Felipe VI deems “timely”, although he has not waited to spread it. Juan Carlos I, who signs as “your father”, says goodbye to his son with these words: “With my loyalty, affection and the immense pride I feel for you”.
After reproducing the letter, the Royal House limits itself to adding: “His Majesty the King respects and understands the will of His Majesty the King Don Juan Carlos expressed in his letter.” That is to say, his decision to continue residing in Abu Dhabi but making frequent visits to Spain.
The letter has been made public after Juan Carlos I’s lawyer, Javier Sánchez-Junco, and General Félix Sanz Roldán, his main adviser in recent years, visited the King Emeritus in Abu Dhabi this weekend, where the The lawyer handed him the file decrees of the Prosecutor’s Office and explained their legal scope.
The file of the proceedings opened by the Prosecutor’s Office have changed the circumstances that motivated his departure from Spain. However, the numerous irregularities that have come to light have damaged his image, which is why both the Casa del Rey and the Government preferred that Juan Carlos I stay away from La Zarzuela and that only progressively and gradually, through visits , normalize its presence in Spain.
Juan Carlos I, who was reluctant to accept this formula, has ended up assuming it “as a sacrifice for his country”, according to sources close to him.
“I sincerely regret past events”
The letter sent by Juan Carlos I to his son Felipe VI includes an outline requesting an apology for the numerous irregularities regarding his assets that have emerged in the investigations carried out by both the Spanish and Swiss prosecutors. “I am aware of the importance for public opinion of the past events of my private life and that I sincerely regret,” says the king emeritus in his letter, alluding to the funds he had in tax havens. Juan Carlos I does not offer explanations for his conduct, as the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, claimed, but he does claim to regret it. A feeling that, in any case, is nuanced because later and in the same sentence, he adds: “As I also feel legitimate pride in my contribution to democratic coexistence and freedoms in Spain, the result of the collective effort and sacrifice of all the Spanish”.
King Juan Carlos thus attempts to compensate for the rejection caused by his private behavior with the admiration aroused by his role in the Spanish Transition. Government sources limited themselves last night to pointing out that “the Government respects the decision [sobre el futuro de Juan Carlos I]which has been taken within the Royal House” and added that “the Prime Minister was informed” of the letter, reports Carlos E. Cué.
Consult the letter that Juan Carlos I has written to his son, Felipe VI. If you cannot see the image correctly, please download the PDF document here.
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