Felipe Paves The Way For Juan Carlos’ Return Home

The decision last week by Spain’s State Prosecutor to shelve the investigation into the finances of the late king, Juan Carlos, has allowed his son and heir, Felipe to bring a close the royal affair that has been a pall over his reign.

The former king sent an open letter this week to his son, in which he said that he would not seek a speedy return to his homeland, indeed that he would, for the foreseeable future remain resident in the United Arab Emirates, albeit with private visits to Spain to see family and friends.

It is unclear if he would be staying at the Zarzuela Palace, the home of the Spanish royal family.

The former king has been subject to several financial investigations following abdication in 2014, which was due to public scandals over his private life.

In the letter, published in many Spanish newspapers this week, Juan Carlos expressed regret for the first time over the scandals that have befallen him.

The 84-year-old former monarch left Spain in August 2020 under an avalanche of investigations both at home and abroad.

The most serious being the investigation by Swiss authorities into his alleged kickbacks for securing a contract for Spanish construction companies to build a high-speed railway line to Mecca.

Investigators followed the money trail and uncovered that Juan Carlos´s Swiss bank account had received $100 million which was then transferred to the London based socialite and former mistress, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn´s account in the Bahamas.

The case was shelved after the state prosecutor was unable to find enough evidence to link the payment to the railway contract.

Sayn-Wittgenstein, claimed the money was a gift and has recently launched court proceedings against Juan Carlos in London.

With the closure of the investigations the path is open for his return at some stage to Spain.

Although tarred by the recent investigations, he remains a respected figure in Spain, not least for his pivotal role in the transition to democracy following the death of General Franco and the attempted coup in 1981.

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