A Dead Brother, Elephant Hunting and a Wayward Son-In-Law: Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain came to the Spanish throne in strange times. His father, Juan, Count of Barcelona, was not crowned king despite a long life and a vacant throne. This was due to the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. As a young man, Franco agreed that Juan Carlos would succeed to the Spanish throne, after Franco's death. Therefore, Juan Carlos was the heir apparent but under Franco's thumb.
While Juan Carlos' family had to live in exile in Italy, Franco permitted Juan Carlos to move to Spain to be educated. He also joined the army to gain military experience. His life was effectively controlled by Franco.
While visiting his family in Portugal for Holy Week in 1956, a tragedy occurred. His younger brother, Alfonso, died from a gun shot wound. The Spanish Embassy in Portugal claimed that Alfonso died while he was cleaning a revolver. However, rumors swirled that it was actually Juan Carlos who shot his brother. Some accounts say that Juan Carlos was cleaning the gun when it accidentally went off. Other accounts say that he was playing around and aimed the gun directly at Alfonso. Still others claim that Alfonso barged into the room, causing the door to hit Juan Carlos and accidentally fire the gun. All that is officially known is that Juan Carlos was with Alfonso when he died, which would be a horrid experience for any person.
Franco encouraged Juan Carlos to marry, and perhaps supported a royal match. In 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece. To accommodate their faiths, they had a Catholic ceremony and an Orthodox ceremony. Together they had three children: Elena, Cristina and the current King Felipe VI of Spain.
When Franco died in 1975, Juan Carlos became king of Spain. Sofia, as she was called in Spain, was a popular queen. Juan Carlos was popular at first due to his strong support of democracy. However, in his old age his support decreased year by year. Rumors abounded that Juan Carlos was unfaithful. Some even said that he tried to have an affair with Princess Diana, and even succeeded in the task. Despite their marital problems, Sofia and Juan Carlos remained together, perhaps due to their strong religious convictions. His popularity began to free fall due to two major scandals that coincided with the economic crisis in Spain.
In late 2011, Iñaki Urdangarin, the husband of Juan Carlos' daughter Cristina, was investigated for diverting public funds for his own private use. After this, the royal family tried to distance themselves from Iñaki. In 2012, while many Spaniards were suffering due to unemployment and economic uncertainty, Juan Carlos took a trip to Botswana to hunt elephants. The public was made aware of the trip only after Juan Carlos was injured and had to be flown home. He was accompanied on this trip by Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a younger woman and ex wife of a descendant of a former German noble family. She allegedly was one of Juan Carlos' many lovers. Also this year, Iñaki was further investigated for corruption and Cristina was also investigated.
In 2014, due to these scandals, the public called for Juan Carlos to abdicate. When Felipe became king, he stripped Cristina of her title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca In 2016, Cristina was acquitted while Iñaki was sentenced to approximately six years in jail. Since Felipe has become king, he and his wife, Queen Letizia, have tried to streamline and modernize the monarchy while cutting excessive spending. In 2020, it was discovered that Saudi Arabia had made donations to Juan Carlos, including a 100 million dollar donation for the benefit of Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Felipe renounced any inheritance from Juan Carlos, to distance himself from any improperly acquired funds. Juan Carlos started out as a promising king, but the stain of scandals in his later years have left him with a checkered history.
While Juan Carlos' family had to live in exile in Italy, Franco permitted Juan Carlos to move to Spain to be educated. He also joined the army to gain military experience. His life was effectively controlled by Franco.
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| Juan Carlos and Francisco Franco |
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| Juan Carlos, Juan, Count of Barcelona and Alfonso |
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| Felipe, Cristina, Sofia, Juan Carlos and Elena |
In late 2011, Iñaki Urdangarin, the husband of Juan Carlos' daughter Cristina, was investigated for diverting public funds for his own private use. After this, the royal family tried to distance themselves from Iñaki. In 2012, while many Spaniards were suffering due to unemployment and economic uncertainty, Juan Carlos took a trip to Botswana to hunt elephants. The public was made aware of the trip only after Juan Carlos was injured and had to be flown home. He was accompanied on this trip by Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, a younger woman and ex wife of a descendant of a former German noble family. She allegedly was one of Juan Carlos' many lovers. Also this year, Iñaki was further investigated for corruption and Cristina was also investigated.
In 2014, due to these scandals, the public called for Juan Carlos to abdicate. When Felipe became king, he stripped Cristina of her title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca In 2016, Cristina was acquitted while Iñaki was sentenced to approximately six years in jail. Since Felipe has become king, he and his wife, Queen Letizia, have tried to streamline and modernize the monarchy while cutting excessive spending. In 2020, it was discovered that Saudi Arabia had made donations to Juan Carlos, including a 100 million dollar donation for the benefit of Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Felipe renounced any inheritance from Juan Carlos, to distance himself from any improperly acquired funds. Juan Carlos started out as a promising king, but the stain of scandals in his later years have left him with a checkered history.
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| Abdication of Juan Carlos |
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