The Former King of Spain Briefly Returned From Exile Over the Weekend

It's been almost two years since Spain's former King, Juan Carlos, went into self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi amidst an ongoing scandal over potential financial misconduct, but over the weekend the King Emeritus made a brief return to his former homeland. Arriving in the country on Thursday, Juan Carlos made a planned four-day stop-over in the country to visit family and friends and participate in a sailing regatta. It has been reported that he will be departing Spain again today and returning to Abu Dhabi.

While the former monarch did not speak to the press during his visit, Pedro Campos, who hosted the former king for his stay, was quoted as saying that Juan Carlos, "is in high spirits, very enthusiastic about returning to Spain. That is the main message he has conveyed to me."

In addition to the regatta, Juan Carlos also made a visit to the Zarzuela royal palace in Madrid to visit his wife, Queen Sofia, and their son, the current King Felipe VI. While his two daughters have reportedly visited the ex-monarch in Abu Dhabi since his exile, it was apparently his first meeting in two years with his wife and son.

Juan Carlos, who abdicated the throne in 2014 and withdrew from public life in 2019, chose to go into exile in 2020 during investigations into her role in a multibillion-dollar deal in which some Spanish companies were awarded the contract to build a high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia. The investigation was dropped in March 2022, but the former king's return to Spain was still met with controversy. Several protests broke out in the wake of the announcement of Juan Carlos's return, while a government spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, chided the ex-monarch for not using the trip to address the allegations of misconduct, saying he "missed an opportunity" to "provide explanations and ask for forgiveness."

According to People, Mayor Telmo Gonzalez of Sanxenxo, where the regatta was held, has suggested that Juan Carlos may return for another regatta in June.

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