Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I has cancelled his planned trip to Spain and will remain in Abu Dhabi instead, according to sources close to the ex-monarch.
The emeritus king had been due to visit Sanxenxo in Galicia on Thursday, March 12, to take part in sailing regattas over the weekend – a visit that was expected to draw major media attention.
However, the father of King Felipe VI has now decided not to travel and will stay in the United Arab Emirates for security reasons linked to the current tensions in the Middle East.
Sources say the former monarch is in good health and currently staying in Abu Dhabi with his grandson Froilan.
They added that Juan Carlos could have left the country several days ago but personally chose to remain there given the unstable international situation.
There have also been reports that renovation work is being carried out at the residence where the former king lives.
The cancelled trip had generated significant interest as it would have marked another visit to Sanxenxo, where Juan Carlos has regularly returned to compete in sailing events since moving to Abu Dhabi.
His possible return also comes at a sensitive time politically, with recently declassified documents related to Spain’s 1981 coup attempt – known as 23F – again placing his historic role under scrutiny.
Juan Carlos moved to the Middle East following a series of financial scandals and controversies that emerged during the final years of his reign and after his abdication in 2014.
Investigations claimed that Juan Carlos had received €65 million from Saudi Arabia in 2008, reportedly linked to a contract to build a high-speed rail line between Medina and Mecca.
The money was allegedly paid into a Swiss bank account and later transferred to his former partner Corinna Larsen, which raised suspicions of possible kickbacks.
Spanish and Swiss prosecutors investigated whether the payment was an illegal commission.
Further investigations uncovered undeclared foreign accounts and foundations linked to the former king. These included money allegedly held in tax havens through complex financial structures.
Juan Carlos later made several multi-million euro payments to Spanish tax authorities in an attempt to regularise undeclared funds and avoid potential criminal charges.
Public opinion also turned sharply against him after a 2012 elephant hunting trip in Botswana during the height of Spain’s economic crisis.
The trip became public only after he broke his hip during the safari, forcing him to apologise publicly, in a rare moment for a Spanish monarch.
Under growing pressure from scandals and declining public support, Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, passing the throne to his son King Felipe VI.
In 2020 he left Spain and moved to Abu Dhabi, saying he wanted to make it easier for his son to rule without the ongoing controversy.
