Do you ever think about where you would go if you suddenly had to exile yourself from your country? I think about it all the time. Is that weird? Like, it’s one of my favorite thought-exercises, especially during the Trump era. Realistically, I think I would probably go to India, where I have extended family. But I also wonder what it would be like to exile myself down to Argentina. But what would it be like to throw yourself into exile when you have a $100 million in Saudi kickback money in a bank account? Where would you go then? Despite rumors that Spain’s King Juan Carlos had exiled himself in Portugal or the Dominican Republic, the new claim is that he’s in Abu Dhabi:
It was announced on Monday that the father of King Felipe VI of Spain had left the country in self-imposed exile just weeks after he was linked to an investigation into high-speed rail contracts in Saudi Arabia. Now, it appears he might be living the high life in the Middle East, staying in a £10,000-a-night presidential suite at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Spanish news outlet ABC reports that the monarch took a private flight with five others last Monday from Vigo in north-west Spain. He made the final part of his journey via helicopter. It also stated that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, had made the hotel paparazzi-proof for the Spanish royal.
Abu Dhabi?? Well, it’s a playground for the rich and… shady. Many of those emirate countries are leaning hard into tourism, especially at the elite level, the “former king” level. Plus, many kings and sheikhs look out for their own – it’s little surprise to me that Juan Carlos was welcomed in another country controlled by a powerful sheikh.
Meanwhile, the situation for the Spanish royal family continues to be pretty awful. Protesters are still agitating about the need to end the monarchy. It’s so bad that King Felipe is now circulating the story that he personally banished his father from the country and that Felipe was particularly concerned about his father’s German mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. It’s all connected though, the kickbacks, the financial fraud, Juan Carlos’ German rosebushes.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
William is taking notes.
Forget William. DaughterWife and Evil Ken Doll are making their reservations even as we speak.
Huge leap there, holy cow.
Of course he is. Can’t give up the life style he is used to.
I wonder where is Sofia.. if she left with Juan Carlos or not. I bet she is still in Spain or would go to Greece/UK to “retire”.
I doubt Sofia will leave Spain. She’ll play the martyr and continue to play PR games at the expense of Letizia and the girls.
I’ve always read that she is very close to her brother Konstantin who lives in the UK. She’s always saying there, and has been her escape for years.
That second photo is amazing, with the photobombing bishop peeking out from behind the royal family. Symbolic?
10,000 pounds…or about $13,000 USD a night. A night.
Yeah….eat the rich….and start with all (ALL) the monarchies.
Why ban him instead of prosecuting him ? I understand why Spanish people are angry. I do feel bad for Princess Leonor, she looks like a bright girl, she is amazing at public speaking ( better at 14 yo than Kate Middleton) and would be an great queen and ambassador for her country but sadly won’t have the chance to be because of her shady parents.
Yes, I think the princesses are the only ones I have any sympathy for here. They’ve been told all their young lives that they’re supposed to serve their country in a very specific way, and now their criminal grandfather and possibly abetting father might have upset the apple cart. Well, they’ll probably still be rich, so I guess I don’t have that much sympathy.
I guess Prince Andrew is feeling pretty jealous right now. Where’s my 100 million dollars? where my abu daubi hotel? I dont even sweat for christs sake, where’s mine?
LOL