King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's Marriage

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

I have heard many of these stories over the years and IMHO I think the majority of them are true. I don't think Juan Carlos ever really loved Sophia; he just made a dynastic marriage so one day his crown would be returned to him. I feel bad for Sophia, she has just been another royal woman who has had to put up with a philandering husband.

I wonder how the King can look his cheating son-in-law Jaime de Marichalar in the face?? I wonder if he has scolded Jaime for his behavior??

Anybody who watches JC and Sofia together can clearly see they have a very strong relationship, an infinite tenderness and admiration for each other. If that is love or not, I don't know, nor do any of us. But in my opinion, if JC has ever cheated Sofia that doesn't mean he didn't ever love her. To tell the truth, I can not imagine them together without loving each other. If a marriage goes through one (or many) crisis, it doesn't mean they are a fake couple, who had never fall in love for each other... it only means that they went through situations that are hard for any woman to bear (specially when you're married to the King and you can't ask for divorce, without losing your children), and it may also mean that JC is perhaps a typical Spanish D. Juan, a nice heartthrob whose fault is to like women more than perhaps he should. But I'm sure that, if some of those cheatings ever happened, JC and Sofia still have a very caring and strong relationship... perhaps a strange one, for most of us, but I'm sure they really love (whatever that means) each other.

Now, regarding Jaime de Marichalar, I never heard anything about it...

[Mathilde1286]

Yes, what about Jaime de Marichalar??

[iowabelle]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

but I'm sure they really love (whatever that means) each other.

Oh, Prince Charles' comment will never go away, will it? :)

[Mascha]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Anybody who watches JC and Sofia together can clearly see they have a very strong relationship, an infinite tenderness and admiration for each other. If that is love or not, I don't know, nor do any of us. But in my opinion, if JC has ever cheated Sofia that doesn't mean he didn't ever love her. To tell the truth, I can not imagine them together without loving each other. If a marriage goes through one (or many) crisis, it doesn't mean they are a fake couple, who had never fall in love for each other... it only means that they went through situations that are hard for any woman to bear (specially when you're married to the King and you can't ask for divorce, without losing your children), and it may also mean that JC is perhaps a typical Spanish D. Juan, a nice heartthrob whose fault is to like women more than perhaps he should. But I'm sure that, if some of those cheatings ever happened, JC and Sofia still have a very caring and strong relationship... perhaps a strange one, for most of us, but I'm sure they really love (whatever that means) each other.

Now, regarding Jaime de Marichalar, I never heard anything about it...

You are so right Elsa M., we will never know what happens behind closed doors but I , like you did too, always like to think positive...:)

[*SofiaM*]

Guys...I just have to have my say on this
I agree with Elsa M. Maybe JC and Sofia don't 'love' each other the way we think love should be, but it's obvious they respect each other and have a good close relationship. I mean if we look at pictures of them together like, for example, the one below, we can see this. Also, as someone else has said, if JC had/has cheated, and you've been married as long as these 2 have, it must be hard for Sofia to feel such anger towards her husband as they've been through so much together. (But like we said, you never know what goes on in private)
Well... there you go, I said it and now I'm out of breath :p

[tiaraprin]

I have heard rumors that Jaime has cheated on Elena in various ways from friends who are into royalty.

[Marcus]

Tiara, can you elaborate a little bit more about those rumours? I haven't heard them myself and I am very curious. I have heard other kind of rumours about Marichalar, but nothing about him being unfaithful to Elena. Thanx!

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

I have heard rumors that Jaime has cheated on Elena in various ways from friends who are into royalty.

I heard the same, and the rumours go on saying that he isn't a ladies man in the first place... it would explain the fan

MaschaWasn't he also involved with Maria-Gabriella of Savoy? (the daughter of the Italian exiled king). Also before he met Sofia?

Wasn't there a woman seeking press attention a few years ago, who claimed to be the daughter of this couple & who said that she was adopted after birth?

[carlota]

that book posted by rchainho called "un rey golpe a golpe" is the one i was going to state before. i haven't read it but apparently it's a non official biography of the king. it was said many times that he cheated on sofia and i heard also that she also did. however, people in spain adore him and nobody seems to blame him for that as his private life is not what matters but what he did for the country.

[Mascha]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Wasn't there a woman seeking press attention a few years ago, who claimed to be the daughter of this couple & who said that she was adopted after birth?

Yes, a woman who lives in Paris, she insisted that JC would take a blood test to prove that he is her father. I don't think he did though.. This is all I could find on the net. I'm sure I once saw a photo of her but I can't find it anymore.:(

http://www.nettyroyal.nl/newsmay02.html
May 28th 2002
Marie-José de la Ruelle has lost her lawsuit against Princess Maria Gabriella of Italy at court in Bordeaux. Ms de la Ruelle claims to be the daughter of the princess and of King Juan Carlos of Spain.

http://www.royalsportal.de/news/news2001-09.php
September 20 2001
63-year-old SM Rey Juan Carlos de España should be father of a 47-year-old French woman Marie-José de La Ruelle who went to court in Bordeaux. She said to the press that she is the daughter of the Spanish king and 61-year-old Principessa Maria Gabriella di Savoia, herself daughter of the last Italian king. According to La Ruelle her "parents" had an affair during a cruise aboard the "Agamemnon" in 1953. The court will decide about a motherhood test next spring. The complainant was born in 1954 as Brigitte-Odile Gervais in a military hospital in Blida, Algeria, and was adopted in 1955. [dpa]

[james]

I take it that Elena's husband is rumored to be gay. Where have these rumors come from?

[rchainho]

Originally Posted by carlota

that book posted by rchainho called "un rey golpe a golpe" is the one i was going to state before. i haven't read it but apparently it's a non official biography of the king. it was said many times that he cheated on sofia and i heard also that she also did. however, people in spain adore him and nobody seems to blame him for that as his private life is not what matters but what he did for the country.

that's the one.

[Marcus]

The book some of you have mentioned, "Un rey golpe a golpe" is written under pseudonim (sp) by Pepe Rei, a despicable man and so called journalist currently in jail linked with the terrorist band ETA. I don't know if he is right or not in what he says in his book, which I bought by the way, only I inform the Forum about who is the source of that information.

[EmpressRouge]

Originally Posted by Mascha

Yes, a woman who lives in Paris, she insisted that JC would take a blood test to prove that he is her father. I don't think he did though.. http://www.royalsportal.de/news/news2001-09.php
September 20 2001
63-year-old SM Rey Juan Carlos de España should be father of a 47-year-old French woman Marie-José de La Ruelle who went to court in Bordeaux. She said to the press that she is the daughter of the Spanish king and 61-year-old Principessa Maria Gabriella di Savoia, herself daughter of the last Italian king. According to La Ruelle her "parents" had an affair during a cruise aboard the "Agamemnon" in 1953. The court will decide about a motherhood test next spring. The complainant was born in 1954 as Brigitte-Odile Gervais in a military hospital in Blida, Algeria, and was adopted in 1955. [dpa]

According to this, JC and MG would have been 16 and 14, respectively when they had the child.

[maryshawn]

I think Juan Carlos has always had an eye for beautiful women--which makes him pretty much like the majority of men! Whether or not he acts on it is anyone's guess. I do know Princess Diana told a friend she was very uncomfortable being around him on that last family holiday in Spain as he gave her a very costly watch and was a bit more touchy feely than she liked. I'll have to peruse my collection of Diana books (no small task.....) but that comment did stand out as I remember thinking that could be the reason she looked so uncomfortable there and returned saying she had had a lousy time. But, while I like Diana very much, she wasn't always accurate in her comments. And there are a lot of people who don't like people "invading their space" so that could've been the issue with her. As for the watch, she showed it to friends and it was a costly patek philippe, I believe, but he's wealthy and perhaps it was just meant as a gift for a visiting member of the British royal family, who enjoys a particularly close relationship with the Spanish royal family.


The rumors about Elena's husband are new--to me. I don't know quite what to make of them. I mean, he's been a sick man, having had a stroke..... It just sounds odd but who knows? Anything's possible, I guess.

[Viola-Theresa]

I heared about a love affair between the Princess zu Leiningen (later Begum Inaara) and King Juan Carlos ... the consequence of this affair was the "connection" to the Aga Khan ...

[iowabelle]

Originally Posted by maryshawn

I do know Princess Diana told a friend she was very uncomfortable being around him on that last family holiday in Spain as he gave her a very costly watch and was a bit more touchy feely than she liked. I'll have to peruse my collection of Diana books (no small task.....) but that comment did stand out as I remember thinking that could be the reason she looked so uncomfortable there and returned saying she had had a lousy time..

That incident with Juan Carlos is told in Ken Wharfe's book. I guess, from what I remember, Diana told Wharfe the king was a little fresh and Wharfe wondered what was he supposed to do about it? You can't exactly punch out a king.

[maryshawn]

You just saved me a lot of time. Yeah, what was Wharfe supposed to do with a King? I doubt even Charles would've "called him" on it.

Originally Posted by iowabelle

That incident with Juan Carlos is told in Ken Wharfe's book. I guess, from what I remember, Diana told Wharfe the king was a little fresh and Wharfe wondered what was he supposed to do about it? You can't exactly punch out a king.

[Elsa M.]

I just want to remember everybody that, according to our guidelines, all information submitted to The Royal Forums must be linked to a credible source. Therefore, if you have sources to back up your statements about King Juan Carlos' or any other royal's infidelity, please state them; however, if they are just gossip based on offensive speculation, let's take it with the required pinch of salt and not add to the rumormill.

Elsa M.
(Supermoderator of the Spanish Forums)

[melodie_del_mar]

I just read the gossip in internet, that king Juan Carlos has a relations with 25 y.o. german student julia Steinbusch, already 18 months, somebody knows is it a truth?