80th Birthday Celebrations of King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia - 2018 - Page 2

**An Ard Ri** · #21 01-05-2018, 03:42 PM

Its a lovely family photo and would make a great Christmas card come December .

lula · #22 01-05-2018, 04:04 PM

Infanta Cristina and her family were photographed yesterday in Rome. They were not at the lunch, according to the press Cristina and her children were invited and that the only one who was not welcome was Iñaki ... and once again Cristina has seemed to decide that if Iñaki does not go, none will go.

**An Ard Ri** · #23 01-05-2018, 04:23 PM

Such a vast contrast to King Juan Carlos's 70th Birthday ofcourse he was the Monarch in January 2008.

https://www.hola.com/imagenes/realez...milia70--a.jpg

http://galiciahoxe.com/servicios/gal...ndes/24676.jpg

http://www.casareal.es/sitios/Listas...o_20080109.jpg

http://www.elcorreogallego.es/servic...ndes/24669.jpg

https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-g...DI0016-238.jpg

lula · #24 01-05-2018, 04:31 PM

The dinner for his 70th birthday was the first time it was organized, and apparently it was more influenced by the Government than by Juan Carlos himself.

His 60th birthday was celebrated by visiting the Spanish troops abroad.

carlota · #25 01-05-2018, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lula

Infanta Cristina and her family were photographed yesterday in Rome. They were not at the lunch, according to the press Cristina and her children were invited and that the only one who was not welcome was Iñaki ... and once again Cristina has seemed to decide that if Iñaki does not go, none will go.

so she decided not to celebrate with her father such an occasion. i guess it would have been nice to let go of pride and attend the event without inaki. she clearly holds a grudge. in the past, she expressed how awkward she felt going back to the palace these days.

**An Ard Ri** · #26 01-05-2018, 05:33 PM

It would have been nice to see the Urdangarin children in the photo,pity Infanta Cristina decided not to go.

Iluvbertie · #27 01-05-2018, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lula

Infanta Cristina and her family were photographed yesterday in Rome. They were not at the lunch, according to the press Cristina and her children were invited and that the only one who was not welcome was Iñaki ... and once again Cristina has seemed to decide that if Iñaki does not go, none will go.

Years ago I was in a similar position - really looking forward to attending my cousin's wedding. She had sent me a lovely letter asking me to attend but ... when the official invitation arrived for the family my aunt had deliberately left my father's name off the invitation.

My mother obviously refused to attend her husband's niece's wedding (hers only by marriage not blood) without her husband and left it to her children to decide. We took the view 'if you don't want our father then you don't get us either and none of us attended'.

This sounds like it could be a similar situation - the family unit didn't attend because one member of the family wasn't welcome. Who made that decision we don't know but I would be very surprised if there wasn't some discussion within the family unit with a decision along the lines of 'all of us or none of us' being a family agreement. Even young children can be hurt very badly when they know that one or other of their parents is not welcome at large family events and most children will decide to side with their parents over extended family - including grandparents.

camelot23ca · #28 01-06-2018, 12:29 AM

If Cristina and the children were in fact absent, and if the reason was because Inaki wasn't invited, Juan Carlos should be ashamed of himself, IMO. Juan Carlos has happily rubbed shoulders with people who make Inaki look like a choir boy so I doubt it would have killed him to be civil to his son in law for a couple of hours for the sake of his daughter and especially his grandchildren. If the issue was Inaki being in an official residence I'm sure any number of extended family or friends would have gladly opened their homes for the celebration. If anyone here is showing an excess of pride and holding a grudge it's not Cristina, it's her father.

Juan Carlos has been petty throughout this process, though. I recall, for example, an article in Vanity Fair in which he authorized one of his closest friends to speak disparagingly of Inaki. Contrast that to another article in the same magazine in which Cristina's closest family and friends spoke and one of the upfront conditions was that they didn't discuss either Inaki or the Spanish royal house.

I'm not sure why they chose such a provocative picture to publish. They could have taken a nice one of Juan Carlos, Felipe and Leonor. Or, if Cristina and the children were in fact there, they could have done one with JC and all the grandchildren. Or they could have done no public picture at all as it was well emphasized in the Spanish press that this was a strictly private event. Instead they choose a picture of the entire family, except of course one of his daughters and, oh yeah, half of his grandchildren. They must have known the absence would be part of all the headlines and provide the opportunity for still more discussion about the seemingly endless toxic relationships within the family. More importantly than all that, it seems needlessly cruel towards the Urdangarin children.

Duke of Marmalade · #29 01-06-2018, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lula

Infanta Cristina and her family were photographed yesterday in Rome. They were not at the lunch, according to the press Cristina and her children were invited and that the only one who was not welcome was Iñaki ... and once again Cristina has seemed to decide that if Iñaki does not go, none will go.

But it doesn't make any sense, does it? Clearly Inaki isn't welcome, but we've seen the Urdangarin children alone being photographed with their grandparents/cousins on Mallorca island and Cristina had no problem to attend the funeral of Infanta Alicia on her own, without Inaki.

Whatever the reason behind this photo, it is sad to see that the adults are unable to compromise to have at least all grandchildren attend the lunch.
Even more so since somebody will still be paying for everyday life in Geneva and the education of the Urdangarin grandchildren, most likely JC and Sofia.

Duc_et_Pair · #30 01-06-2018, 05:03 AM

Had the Infanta Doña Cristina been present then it would undoubtedly have raised critics as well.

As we all know the situation in Spain is tense and the Royal House does not want to give any freebie to separatists and antimonarchists in the current raging propaganda wars.

In the current situation, this was the wisest option, to remain absent.

lula · #31 01-06-2018, 05:17 AM

All the great celebrations of the Royal Family, including private ones, are celebrated in Zarzuela, by organization, privacy and security. It was Juan Carlos' birthday, if he did not want the condemned Iñaki there, his daughter should have respected him.

Cristina has always played with her presence and absences, or has pressed with the presence or absence of her children to covenience.

We must remember that if Cristiña has a great job with a large salary in Geneva it is because she was hired by the Aga Khan, a personal friend of Juan Carlos. According to several reports, are Juan Carlos and Sofia who pay for the elite education of their four children. She should be more grateful.

The day before the birthday the family was photographed in Rome, it is ironic that precisely this year they have decided to spend the birthday of Juan Carlos in the city that Juan Carlos was born.

Iluvbertie · #32 01-06-2018, 05:20 AM

Do we know that

a) she and her family were actually invited
b) who decided that they wouldn't attend

It seems a lot of assumptions with no concrete proof - just supposition.

It is perfectly possible that she was invited and decided not to attend out of respect for her brother. It could be that they were invited but in such a way that it was expected that she would refuse to attend. It could be that the children don't want to be with people who don't want their parent/s around ... all sorts of reasons.

The simple thing is 'we don't know' why she and her family didn't attend - only that they didn't.

lula · #33 01-06-2018, 06:26 AM

According to the press that was informed of the event, she and her children were invited, the only one who was not welcome was Iñaki. So it was her decision.

In the past she has attended events like family funerals without Iñaki without a problem, she even always seemed happy to be photographed with the family. Or the children have been on vacation with the whole family in Mallorca without their parents. Even she traveled with her daughter Irene so that the girl could attend the first communion of her cousin Leonor.

Probably this year Iñaki will go to prison, maybe Cristina still hopes that her family will pull the strings to free him (although that would be totally scandalous).

Cristina has lost a great opportunity to rebuild ties with her family, since not only was the Royal Family, but also the infantas Pilar and Margarita and their children and the Borbón-Dos Sicilias (who have always helped her)... And I do not think that they all accepted that depreciation of Juan Carlos.

From King to King: «If you are proud of me, I am proud of you»

De Rey a Rey: «Si tú estás orgulloso de mí, yo lo estoy de ti»

King Felipe made a speech, also King Juan Carlos and other guests said a few words.

The Royal Family, the families of the sisters of Juan Carlos, Irene of Greece, the Borbón-Dos Sicilias and several godchildren of Juan Carlos attended.

The lunch menu was poached egg with caviar sabayon, supreme turbot with vegetable ratatouille, sirloin brochette and basmati rice and, for dessert, a selection of cut fruit and birthday cake.

The granddaughters carried the cake with 80 candles, which king Felipe and the grandchildren helped blow.

Duke of Marmalade · #34 01-06-2018, 06:28 AM

Fact is that the Urdangarin grandchildren, who are much loved by their grandparents (and who obviously don't mind being around their cousins or King uncle/Queen aunt), missed out on their grandfather's 80th birthdays because of petty games of the adults involved, what is a shame, and the adults should be ashamed of it.

Nobody wants to see Inaki, but to be fair Cristina should have been there (her own choice if she declines) and who should in any case have been there are Cristina's children. It would have been a worthy photo of JC with ALL his grandchildren instead of only half of them, showing a broken family - down to the grandchildren, who are innocent parties - to the public.

Iluvbertie · #35 01-06-2018, 06:48 AM

Do we know, or are we assuming, that the children wanted to go?

I know that if my father wasn't welcome I wouldn't care what the event was I wouldn't go ever.

Duc_et_Pair · #36 01-06-2018, 06:52 AM

If my partner was not welcome, I would not like to go either. And if I have any underaged children, I doubt I would have let them go. So I completely understand the position of the Infanta Doña Cristina.

She is not unique. Every family, royal or not royal, has this sort of rifts. It is part of life.

**Somebody** · #37 01-06-2018, 07:07 AM

I am not sure that it was Juan Carlos who didn't want Iñaki there. It could very well be Felipe and Letizia who were pretty clear that his attendance was a no-go. Felipe seems to have distanced himself completely since he became the monarch (he might not have done the same had they not been the royal family); right now he has no ground to refuse his sister but his brother-in-law was found guilty and still needs to serve his sentence.

I fully understand that the family unit decided not to come if not all were welcome. It is very different from the grandchildren staying with their grandmother (who visits them as well and is not afraid to be seen with her daughter's family) to spend part of the summer with her. Also different from Cristina on her own attending a memorial service. This wouldn't be one or a few members of the family attending but all but one.

**An Ard Ri** · #38 01-06-2018, 07:24 AM

With it being a happy occasion in honour of the former monarchs milestone perhaps it was agreed that Cristina and her family would not attend,the scowling faces from the late Infanta Alicia's memorial Mass left a very unpleasant image of the Spanish Royal Family when they are all together.

ANNIE_S · #39 01-06-2018, 07:34 AM

Yeah, hey should be ashamed of this way of proceed. After all, Inaki and Cristina didn't do that much, they only put the monarchy through its most vulnerable stake in 40 years. A stake from which it has yet not recover and probably never will. But hey, it's Christmas and they're royals celebrating, they should they care so much for such mundane things

An invitation was cursed and they decided not to go. There is tension in the family (hoe could it not be?!) which is something no strange to many other families in the world. I honestly am prerty satisfied to not see either Iñaki nor Cristina in that picture and I think so are most of Spaniards. Here we have pretty much assumed they have been retired forever from the RF and let's better pretend, RF and country, they are not around anymore so we can move on. To be honest, I think just royal watchers are doing a drama out of all this.

Mbruno · #40 01-06-2018, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

If Cristina and the children were in fact absent, and if the reason was because Inaki wasn't invited, Juan Carlos should be ashamed of himself, IMO. Juan Carlos has happily rubbed shoulders with people who make Inaki look like a choir boy so I doubt it would have killed him to be civil to his son in law for a couple of hours for the sake of his daughter and especially his grandchildren. If the issue was Inaki being in an official residence I'm sure any number of extended family or friends would have gladly opened their homes for the celebration. If anyone here is showing an excess of pride and holding a grudge it's not Cristina, it's her father.

Juan Carlos has been petty throughout this process, though. I recall, for example, an article in Vanity Fair in which he authorized one of his closest friends to speak disparagingly of Inaki. Contrast that to another article in the same magazine in which Cristina's closest family and friends spoke and one of the upfront conditions was that they didn't discuss either Inaki or the Spanish royal house.

I'm not sure why they chose such a provocative picture to publish. They could have taken a nice one of Juan Carlos, Felipe and Leonor. Or, if Cristina and the children were in fact there, they could have done one with JC and all the grandchildren. Or they could have done no public picture at all as it was well emphasized in the Spanish press that this was a strictly private event. Instead they choose a picture of the entire family, except of course one of his daughters and, oh yeah, half of his grandchildren. They must have known the absence would be part of all the headlines and provide the opportunity for still more discussion about the seemingly endless toxic relationships within the family. More importantly than all that, it seems needlessly cruel towards the Urdangarin children.

I don't think the decision to invite the Urdagarins was up to Juan Carlos, but rather to his son as the new king.