The relationship of Jaime Peñafiel & The Royal Family

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by Jackswife

I guess this kind of attack shows that some journalists will never let the facts get in the way of a negative whooly unfounded article. It's really shameful that he would assault Sofia in this manner and I agree if Juan carlos were to meet up with him, it would be a fistfight and HM would easily win!

King Juan Carlos is a very hands-on imposing figure, and I mean literally. Last year he assisted to a dinner hosted either by or for Portuguese dignataries and the local Spanish politicians started a shouting match and screaming at each other in front of the guests and His Majesty. What did the King do? He got up, separated them and grabbed one of them into a room and into his car with him like a little kid, because the rival politicians were acting as kids. The King was by himself on that dinner, had Sofia been present the hot headed politicians would never escalate their hatred for each other in her presence since she is held by everyone is such high esteem

[Diogenes]

Originally Posted by adelaide

I don't know very well the greek modern History of this last fourty years, but it seems you are right in your appreciation about the King Juan Carlos 's brother. Furthermore, the greek poltitical situation of the last fourty years was the very intricate inherit of instability of country since a long time that even a strong poltical man should be a lot of difficulties to resolve it. Sure, Constantine was not the appropriate King, he was too young in too complicate situation. But ( I don't know ) wich real fault had he mad? except his youth ?

You are probably right, the young Greek king had been groomed to continue with the polarised political views of his mother and, frankly, he didn't stand a chance. Greek politics in the 1960s was as convoluted an affair as any greek tragedy, full of intrigue, betrayal, bias and divisiveness. His actions were misguided and misinformed but not surprising for a man thrown into the lion's den aged 24!

[adelaide]

Originally Posted by iannis

One of the mistakes Constantine has himself admitted was that he showed immaturiy in arguing fiercely with PM Papandreou in 1965, which led to a huge political instability that gave the chance for the colonel's coup of 1967, which established a dictatorship in Greece for 7 years and had as a result the abolishment of monarchy. Another one was that he agreed to have his photo taken among with the colonels, which makes many people believe that he supported their coup. He, on the other hand, claims that he asked for the picture to be taken, so everyone could see his sad face, since he had no other means to communicate with the people the colonels had taken over the media.

Many thanks for your precisons. It's a part of recent History not very well knowed.

[Toledo]

And it did not help either that the Greek Royals did not marry local Greeks. Maybe Constantine's return to Greece with his family is his attempt to let the grand kids grow up with Greeks and marry locals. Time will tell if the Greek Monarchy will see a second (or third?) act. My suggestion, do like the Windsors and get an official Greek surname for starters. Pericles? Parthenon? Ok, I'm kidding.


AS I find more articles, I just saw one on something we did not know at Royal Forums, the cobra...I mean Jaime Penafiel, and his wife went after Letizia paparrazi style when she was taken to the hospital during labor! The article says Penafiel and wife took off in their car directly to the hospital when the news spread that the Princess was on her way there:

Jaime Penafiel goes to Ruber (hospital) International to live (or be part of) directly on the (Princes) happy event
Jaime Peñafiel acude al Ruber Internacional para vivir en directo el feliz acontecimiento

Now that's creepy!

I have to log off quickly, be back later. Right know we have a thunderstorm with lighting right above us and I don't want the laptop to fry!

[Diogenes]

Originally Posted by Toledo

And it did not help either that the Greek Royals did not marry local Greeks. Maybe Constantine's return to Greece with his family is his attempt to let the grand kids grow up with Greeks and marry locals. Time will tell if the Greek Monarchy will see a second (or third?) act. My suggestion, do like the Windsors and get an official Greek surname for starters. Pericles? Parthenon? Ok, I'm kidding.

Good advice! Constantine, King of the Hellenes doesn't really stack up as a surname. The Greeks won't give him a passport until he has a proper surname....

However, we all seem to be drawn off subject. It should be Queen Sophia we talk about and her standing both in Greece and in the world stage.

[crisiñaki]

Originally Posted by Toledo

King Juan Carlos is a very hands-on imposing figure, and I mean literally. Last year he assisted to a dinner hosted either by or for Portuguese dignataries and the local Spanish politicians started a shouting match and screaming at each other in front of the guests and His Majesty. What did the King do? He got up, separated them and grabbed one of them into a room and into his car with him like a little kid, because the rival politicians were acting as kids. The King was by himself on that dinner, had Sofia been present the hot headed politicians would never escalate their hatred for each other in her presence since she is held by everyone is such high esteem

or if they ever even tried to do it in front of the Queen, the King himself would have kicked the stuff out of those politicians just for the fact they were disrespecting her

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by Diogenes

Good advice! Constantine, King of the Hellenes doesn't really stack up as a surname. The Greeks won't give him a passport until he has a proper surname....

The Greek Royals do not use their Danish four name surname. Quite frankly never understood why. So, I was also thinking for the revitalized Constantine and clan a very Greek surname now associated with the Frank Herbert's Dune book series: Atreides. Now that would be Constantine in high drama, Atreides is from Atreus, one of the founders of Greece.
Another option for a surname would be, just like the Windsors, Bourbons and Hapbsburgs did, take one from an historical location (in Greece). Or a Byzantine era inspired name?
The options are there for Constantine to take, if he wants to put the past behind now that he is back in Greece he should make something more than an effort to get his property back. His ego should not be bigger than his common sense.



As I posted above, while looking for the incident between Queen Sofia and Penafiel I stumbled upon articles that are quite fascinating. This one talks about the way the King's family started their fortune before and after the restoration. Quite frankly, good for them, our Royal Family should not be second to the other ones. But the article is in Spanish and one funny section when you scroll down is about all the family pets King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia had at Zarzuela Palace: About 25 dogs and 12 pet cats! And the King and Queen even had a tame pet Guepardo (a Cheetah) as a gift from Ethiopia. The new Palace Secretary, Sabino Fernández Campo, was not informed about the new addition to the family pets and the article said he almost died of shock when he encountered the tame Cheetah walking freely around the palace rooms. The lucky animal died of old age pampered by royalty .
http://es.altermedia.info/general/la...borbn_906.html

One important thing on that article, despite being writen by not so devout pro Monarchits, is the devotion of Juan Carlos and Sofia to take care of their aging family members.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by Toledo

As I posted above, while looking for the incident between Queen Sofia and Penafiel I stumbled upon articles that are quite fascinating. This one talks about the way the King's family started their fortune before and after the restoration. Quite frankly, good for them, our Royal Family should not be second to the other ones. But the article is in Spanish and one funny section when you scroll down is about all the family pets King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia had at Zarzuela Palace: About 25 dogs and 12 pet cats! And the King and Queen even had a tame pet Guepardo (a Cheetah) as a gift from Ethiopia. The new Palace Secretary, Sabino Fernández Campo, was not informed about the new addition to the family pets and the article said he almost died of shock when he encountered the tame Cheetah walking freely around the palace rooms. The lucky animal died of old age pampered by royalty .
http://es.altermedia.info/general/la...borbn_906.html

One important thing on that article, despite being writen by not so devout pro Monarchits, is the devotion of Juan Carlos and Sofia to take care of their aging family members.

If you do find a reliable quote of Penafiel that blamed Sofia for his daughter's suicide, Toledo, I would be interested to see it.

[Anna_R]

I've changed the title of the thread to reflect to where this discussion has headed.

Please keep it clean and civil as it was up to this point.

thanks,
Anna_R
Spanish Forums Moderator

[planetcher]

What kind of help exactly was Penafiel asking QS for his daughter? It intrigues me because for him to write all the things about the SRF and now Letizia it must be something big.

[Toledo]

Originally Posted by ysbel

If you do find a reliable quote of Penafiel that blamed Sofia for his daughter's suicide, Toledo, I would be interested to see it.

I did several searches in Spanish using google and key words like his name and the Queen's name, the words suicide and family and could not scoop out the quotes on his resentful statements against Queen Sofia.

Good news is I found a few things I never read before, like the article on the Royal Family finances and their cats and dogs including their pet Cheetah that lived at Zarzuela palace, and the article on Penafiel and wife stalking the hospital while Letizia was giving birth.

I'll keep looking. Maybe my fellow Spaniards can help out with clues or any hint they have read in other Spanish language royal forums.

Originally Posted by Anna_R

I've changed the title of the thread to reflect to where this discussion has headed.

Please keep it clean and civil as it was up to this point.

thanks,
Anna_R
Spanish Forums Moderator

Thanks for the change of titles to something more general. This thread will go on and on as long as Penafiel keeps insiting he is the know-it-all of European Royal Houses.

[ysbel]

Originally Posted by planetcher

What kind of help exactly was Penafiel asking QS for his daughter? It intrigues me because for him to write all the things about the SRF and now Letizia it must be something big.

Like Toledo, I couldn't find anything on Google about it. Without any real information, the truth could be one of two things: Penafiel could have actually blamed Sofia for his daughter's death or a fellow reporter could have invented an explanation for Penafiel's dislike of Sofia by making up a false story about Penafiel blaming Sofia for the suicide. I gather Penafiel is not too popular with a certain group in Spain.

Perhaps, our Spanish members may know more details.

[crisiñaki]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Like Toledo, I couldn't find anything on Google about it. Without any real information, the truth could be one of two things: Penafiel could have actually blamed Sofia for his daughter's death or a fellow reporter could have invented an explanation for Penafiel's dislike of Sofia by making up a false story about Penafiel blaming Sofia for the suicide. I gather Penafiel is not too popular with a certain group in Spain.

Perhaps, our Spanish members may know more details.

If those rumors (of Peñafiel blaming QS) were true I believe he would have told so in a TV show as he's a huge drama queen and wouldn't have wasted the opportunity to throw some more dirt on the SRF and get some spotlight (which is very rare for him nowadays as no one wants to hear him)

[ysbel]

Well crisinaki since you were the first to mention that Penafiel blamed Sofia for his daughter's suicide, I thought that you believed he did blame Sofia.

Originally Posted by crisiñaki

Peñafiel has a grudge against Queen Sofia, he blames her for his daughter's suicide because he says he called the Queen for help and she "didn't" help him, I personally cannot understand why would the Queen solve his problems

Now you're saying that you don't think its true? Penafiel may be contemptible but that's doesn't make it right to spread rumours about something as tragic as suicide.

[crisiñaki]

Originally Posted by ysbel

Well crisinaki since you were the first to mention that Penafiel blamed Sofia for his daughter's suicide, I thought that you believed he did blame Sofia.



Now you're saying that you don't think its true? Penafiel may be contemptible but that's doesn't make it right to spread rumours about something as tragic as suicide.

I mentioned that just to make a point of maybe why would he blame her and her family for what happened to his daughter.

His daughter did kill herself but so far there's no proof he ever asked QS for help and maybe if he did, she may have tried to point him in the right direction like "make her go to the shrink" or something like that but Peñafiel may have wanted QS to solve that situation and maybe that's why he resents her.

I don't know whether he asked for help or not, what I don't understand is why would he resent the SRF for that? they have the same obligation to solve his problems as they have for the next citizen, this only proves how full of himself this man is:(

[fandesacs2003]

Originally Posted by ...JuAnItA...

He blames Queen Sofia because he asked her help about his daughter's problem... and she didn't help! Or so he said!

Hi, I do not understand, how Queen Sifia could have helped his doughter???
Were they close friends? Which kind of help???

Did this girl needed something special? and Queen Sofia did not assist her? Otherwise how could Quuen Sofia be held resonsible for every sad thing??

Can someone clarify please???

[carlota]

i don't think jaime 'asked for help' to the queen as such. as far as i know, he was hurt because the queen didn't send him a message of condolence when his daughter died, despite the good relationship at that time between him and her. it's good to note that since that day the relationship shrivelled, but before he had a very close relationship with the royal family and was a good friend of his majesty.