Headache as Spain’s shamed former king set on attending
SPAIN’S former king Juan Carlos will attend the Queen’s State Funeral on Monday despite his abdication and a series of scandals and fraud investigations.
Juan Carlos, 84, who abdicated in 2014 after nearly 40 years, will travel from self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi with his wife Sofia, 83.
Spanish state prosecutors only recently dropped a widespread corruption probe into the former king looking into alleged kickbacks and dubious deals.
Juan Carlos’s son King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia have already confirmed they will go to the funeral. His father’s attendance has caused a headache as the Spanish government has made it clear they want the current king to represent the country.
Juan Carlos could still face trial in London over harassment claims brought by his exlover, Princess Corinna.
She has accused the royal of using Spain’s national intelligence agency to harass and threaten her after they broke up, allegations he rejects ‘in the strongest terms’. The ex-king was accused of using her Monaco tax residence to buy property abroad. Leaked recordings revealed her fears of being drawn into ‘money laundering’.
Questions were also raised over allegedly fraudulent transactions involving a Jersey shell company.
But none of the allegations could be proved, and the investigation was dropped in March. The state prosecutor cited difficulties collecting evidence and Juan Carlos’s immunity to prosecution in the years when he was king.
Juan Carlos also moved to settle more than £4million of unpaid taxes, shielding him from an investigation into dubious transactions with a Mexican businessman.