Exiled former king to visit Spain after two-year hiatus

JUAN CARLOS, Spain’s former king, is to make his first return to the country in nearly two years after going into exile in the midst of a corruption scandal.

The 84-year-old, who left Spain in August 2020 while being investigated at the country’s Supreme Court over alleged financial crimes, is expected to attend a sailing regatta in Sanxenxo, north-western Spain, on Saturday.

His impending return may also include a clear-the-air meeting with his son King Felipe, who succeeded him following his abdication in 2014.

Spain’s royal household has not confirmed Juan Carlos’s plans but said King Felipe had spoken with his father about their first meeting since Juan Carlos took up residence in Abu Dhabi.

King Felipe and Juan Carlos had “arranged to meet in Madrid”, the royal household said, explaining that Felipe had phoned his father from the UAE, where he flew to pay his respects to the Emirati royal family after the death of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.

Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, has previously said Juan Carlos “owes explanations” to Spaniards for offshore funds he accumulated in Switzerland and the Channel Islands.

The announcement of the visit came after the Supreme Court said Juan Carlos could not be tried for alleged tax fraud as he is immune from prosecution for any actions prior to his 2014 abdication. Another Spanish court last week shelved an investigation into allegations of bribery in 2008 related to a high-speed train deal in Saudi Arabia.