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The emeritus king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, arrived in Sanxenxo, Galicia, on May 20, on a visit that represents his return to his country after two years in exile in Abu Dhabi. The monarch left his nation amid a cloud of financial scandals that rocked the Royal House.
The coast of Sanxenxo, Galicia, in northwestern Spain, is the scene of the return of King Emeritus Juan Carlos I. It is the first public appearance in his country in more than two years, after the investigations against him were withdrawn in Spanish soil and Switzerland for course fraud.
Although the monarch left his nation in the midst of financial scandals, this Friday, May 20, he was received at the Sanxenxo Yacht Club to cheers and applause from dozens of citizens and a great outpouring of the local press.
Coming from Abu Dhabi, where he has been in exile since 2020, the former leader of the Spanish monarchy initially arrived in Vigo, the most populous city of the Galician community, on Thursday, although he was not seen in public. And this Friday he moved from there to Sanxenxo, where he will stay throughout the weekend to participate in the regattas, one of his greatest passions.
“Long live the king” and “long live the king” were some of the shouts that were heard among the crowd near the local Yacht Club celebrating the 6m class InterRías trophy.
However, from the Royal House and some sectors of the Government, the return of the monarch has received voices of rejection.
The Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, of the leftist Podemos party, pointed out that Juan Carlos I must explain to the public his role in the complaints that were the subject of investigations.
For her part, the spokeswoman for the coalition government, Isabel Rodríguez, said that the Pedro Sánchez Administration is “respectful of the decisions of the former king” and classified his return as “a personal decision.”
Juan Carlos I, a monarch in exile
Once revered for his role in Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy, Juan Carlos I saw his popularity plummet after a series of scandals led to his abdication in favor of his son Felipe in 2014.
The monarch has taken refuge in Abu Dhabi since August 2020. He now maintains his permanent residence in the Gulf State, but last March he announced that he would begin to visit his country frequently.
His remarks came after prosecutors dropped investigations against him due to insufficient evidence and statute of limitations.
The investigations were related to the possible collection of alleged millionaire commissions for the works of the high-speed train to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, among other matters.
This visit by Juan Carlos I is scheduled to end next Monday, May 23, in Madrid, where he is expected to meet with his son and current king, Felipe VI, although he will not stay at the official residence.
The 84-year-old emeritus king will fly back to Abu Dhabi, but has already announced his return to Sanxenxo to attend another regatta next June.
With Reuters and EFE
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