I’ve never really kept up with the nitty-gritty rumor-mongering around the Spanish royal family, but I remember hearing a lot of stuff several years back about how many of the Spanish princes and princesses weren’t very popular, and how several of them were up to all kinds of shenanigans, financial and otherwise. I also remember a theory about King Juan Carlos’ 2014 abdication – he claimed, at the time, that he was abdicating so his son Felipe wouldn’t wither on the vine like Prince Charles, and that Felipe could be a young(er) king. But the rumor going around was that Juan Carlos’ health was pretty bad and no one in Spain really liked him, plus financial shenanigans. As I said, I didn’t keep up with the nitty-gritty. Anyway, we’re coming up on the five-year anniversary of Juan Carlos’ abdication, and he’s made another announcement: he’s retiring from public life.
Five years after his abdication, King Juan Carlos I of Spain is retiring from public life. The 81-year-old royal shared his plans to withdraw from public duties in a letter to his son, King Felipe VI, according to El Pais.
In Juan Carlos’ letter to Felipe IV, which was shared by La Zarzuela, reveals that the former king has been considering his retirement since his 80th birthday in Jan. 2018. The recent celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution in Congress in December confirmed his decision.
“[It was] a solemn act, full of emotion for me, that evoked, with pride and admiration, the memory of the many people who made the political transition [to democracy] possible and renewed my feeling of permanent gratitude toward the Spanish people, the true architect and leading protagonist of that transcendental stage of our recent history,” King Juan Carlos said in the letter.
Juan Carlos’ retirement will officially begin on June 2, exactly five years after his abdication. The former Spanish king reportedly wanted to pass the job onto his son before Felipe, 51, grew old – comparing the situation to Prince Charles‘ nearly lifelong wait to be king. He reportedly spoke to Rafael Spottorno, chief of the royal household, and said: “I do not want my son to wither waiting like Prince Charles,” according to El Mundo newspaper in 2014.
He’s 81 and he’s lived a public life since 1969, when Franco installed him as the king. I’m fine with him retiring from public life – he served his country (to varying degrees of success) for fifty years. I feel the same way about the Duke of Edinburgh’s retirement too – after so long in the public sphere, it’s totally fine for older peeps to retire and enjoy the last years without the endless handshaking and soft diplomacy. Of course, I also wonder if there wasn’t a quiet power play by King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Reportedly, Letizia never really got along with her in-laws and she and Felipe want a clear distinction between their regency and The Juan Carlos Years.
Photos courtesy of WENN and Backgrid.
It’s about time. He should have done this five years ago when he retired. Also, his wife needs a new moniker and should do the same.
To be honest, until this post, I did not realize that he had not retired when he abdicated lol.
His wife needs to go into retirement with him. She will NOT “go quietly into that good night” so to speak.
Sophia has been clinging to her old role with everything she’s got. It’s time for her to step aside.
I came to say the same thing, the former Queen Sophia is a piece of work who will NOT give up public life willingly. She lives to undermine her son and DIL’s rule – rumour is that she was dead against him abdicating but the Spanish gov basically forced him out, such as the public’s outrage at his/his wife’s and daughters/SIL’s behaviour. His daughter and her husband STOLE MONEY FROM A CHARITY to fund their lavish lifestyle.
All of this. About time and hopefully Sophia follows suit and stops undermining her daughter in law.
I wonder what scandal is in the wings driving this decision? More elephant hunting with his mistress?
I have read many places (gossip mags over last 20 years, particularly Vanity Fair) that King Juan Carlos I of Spain has (or had) a wandering scepter that was much traveled.
Another one with a wandering scepter. LOL!
Yes. Supposedly he and Diana used to have it off on their families’ joint summer holidays. They always looked SUPER flirty in photos together. I’d believe it.
This is so abrupt it does seem like another shoe is about to drop.
Yeah that’s what I thought, either that or its going to come out just how much he did behind the scenes to get Infanta Cristina a slap on the wrist for stealing from a charity.
He’s only 81? Huh. I thought he was older than that.
Anyway, I think he will leave behind a complicated legacy – his relationship with Franco, his role in the country’s transition to a democracy and away from a very brutal dictatorship (I feel like Americans don’t learn that much about Franco, which is weird to me considering how long he held power), and then of course the scandals around his daughter, his abdication, etc. I think his biography will be interesting to read in 30 years (saying that because I think it takes time for some perspective to develop on both the good and bad.)
Yes, whatever you think about Juan Carlos his story is a very interesting one. I didn’t really learn about Franco until I studied abroad in Spain and I learned a lot more when I lived in Madrid, Spain for two years. I ended up visiting Valle de los Caidos outside of Madrid (Valley of the Fallen), the controversial basilica Franco had built into the mountain side which political prisoners of Spain’s Civil War built. I saw his tombstone on the main altar (though I think I read somewhere his remains are to be exhumed and buried elsewhere?). Franco still has supporters among the older generation of Spanish people and he basically groomed Juan Carlos from a young age bypassing his father as king because Franco believed Juan Carlos was more likely to continue a Francoist state (Spain had no king from 1931 to 1975 which is just about the time period of Franco’s rule). Instead, once Franco died and much to everyone’s surprise, he dismantled the Franco government and instituted a democracy. As far as I know Juan Carlos has never mentioned Franco in interviews and never talks about how close he was with Franco growing up. I understand why but I always wondered what that must have been like growing up with Franco whispering in your ear.
Thanks, Amelie. I know absolutely nothing about spanish history but your recap had me fascinated. Any good books on the subject of Franco and the monarchy to recommend?
@Jess – a good place to start would probably be a book on the Spanish Civil War, which Franco won. I have a lot of books on it (I was a Spanish major in college) but they are all older and much closer to text books (or they’re in Spanish) so probably not very helpful lol. I think at this point you could probably find some good non-biased books on the Civil War.
Didn’t he also accidentally kill his brother as a child?
Yeah I dunno the details about that, I only know what I’ve read on Wikipedia which I take with a grain of salt. Only he and his brother were in the room. I doubt he killed him on purpose. Something about him cleaning his gun and accidentally shooting his younger brother. It sounds like it was a tragic accident.
The first time I really paid attention to these royals was when Queen Letizia and her MIL had some serious words after an Easter (I think) service last year.
There has been drama between Letizia and her in laws from the beginning. King Felipe’s family hate her and have always looked down their nose at her. IIRC from the gossip at the time they (and many of the Spanish people) didn’t like the fact that she was a commoner, a divorcee and a TV personality (sound familiary??) – they all though he could do better. By all account Felipe is a really nice, decent man and a good father and husband – a better man than his father.
i know someone who saw them in person when they came to the UK earlier this year, she said Felipe is just gorgeous in person and she is stunning.
I’ve heard from a very connected Spanish friend that he is bisexual and has raging affairs with his security guys. Letizia knows and keeps firing them. She is miserable and starves herself as a form of control and out of depression. He feels bad but not bad enough to stop. She cannot leave him because under Spanish law he will receive total custody of their girls so she is trapped.
Is it true that Felipe is 6’7″ tall?
IMHO, Felipe of Spain and Carl Philip of Sweden are the best looking European Royals.
@Bay, I think he’s about 6′ 3 or 6′ 4. My friend said he was easy to spot as he towered above everyone else.
Yes they are!
@BayTampaBay I could see Carl Philip posing the red carpet with Henry Cavill and his brothers and I’d swear he was a Cavill.
That video was so tense. Queen Sofia grabbing onto her granddaughters for a photo op as they were visibly struggling against her, Letizia went into protective mom mode, and everyone blamed Letizia for it.
She deserves better than she gets.
The young princess Leonor, who will be Queen, is one to watch. She’s so incredibly poised, well spoken, darling. She will be the first Spanish Queen since 1868! Exciting 💖👑💖
Oh that IS exciting!
I agree. She is quietly captivating and my eye is always drawn to her.
[*Still waters run deep.*]
So he didn’t retire when he abdicated? So what was the point of abdicating?
Getting of the royal merry-go-round?
I think he was sort of forced to retire from all the scandal surrounding them.
If he wanted the Monarchy to continue, he had to step down, corruption and other things.
They can criticised Queen Letizia all they want, but she puts in the work and opened up the Royal family to full transparency.
Spanish person here:
IT WAS ABOUT DAMN TIME but also he and only he (and all his shady deals and mistresses and stuff), is the reason you see republican flags all over Spain. And it’s sad bc Felipe and Leti might step up their game and become proper representatives of the country out there, but they are already tainted. They probably know about all the shady stuff and the scandals and imo they are complicit and maybe it’s time to get rid of people being born with a job, a palace and a stupid amount of money that comes from the people.
Anyway, Juancar have a nice rest of your life, Sofi, leave Leti alone ffs.
I feel sorry for Felipe and Letizia and they have been trying so hard to turn the image of the royal family around only to be undermined at every turn by his parents and sisters. Sofia especially seems to hate Letizia, is it because she married Felipe or is there any other reasons?
I thought at one point Juan Carlos and Sofia were beloved by the people but when it all came out about him and his behaviour thats when everyone turned against them?
The last time I saw him was at Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg’s funeral a few weeks ago, he looked very very frail, it was obvious that he is in really bad health now so I think it’s just a matter of time until he retires from life completely, state funeral and nail down the lid for ever. Sophia doesn’t spend much time in Spain at all now she just turns up for things where she knows there will be a photo opp.
I live in Madrid. I´m not Spanish but I´m married to a Spanish man. Spanish mother in laws are a force to be reckoned with. The ones I know don´t really have a life of their own after their children are grown up, and devote themselves to their grown up children and grandchildren. I know someone whose MIL told her, “I wish my son had never married you”. I have another friend and her MIL wanted to be the first person to hold her baby as soon as it was born. When my friend objected, the MIL told her “The only people who are important to me are my sons and grandchildren”. And this was as my friend was being wheeled in for a c-section. Sofia is like every other Spanish grandmother I know, and I´ve lived here for 9 years. Spanish MILs never want to give up the “crown”.