Kit
Courtier
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2011
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- 875
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- Vienna
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- Austria
Is there an English translation of JC‘s letter?? Unfortunately I don‘t speak Spanish.
My impression is that the Spanish government and press have known about Juan Carlos and his financial dealings for decades. Various governments gave him a wink and a nod, likely because JC made a lot of money for Spain as well as for himself and because it was a way to keep the official costs related to the royal family low, (“look how little they cost us!”), and also because many of the politicians involved were likely doing similar things themselves.
The Spanish press censored itself and protected JC in the same way it’s now protecting Felipe. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground with the press in Spain - they turned Cristina into a monster and drove her out of the country, as well, despite knowing from the start that there was no evidence that she’d committed a crime. She was linked to a person who committed several crimes in the same way her brother is now linked, through the papers published in the UK, to a person who likely committed several crimes. JC will now be torn to pieces in such a way that his ongoing residence in Spain would be miserable for him and an embarrassing fiasco for the royal family and the government. Felipe, on the other hand, has been declared officially off limits and will continue with business as usual. For now.
As to Sofia’s changing residence - my understanding is that the private part of Zarzuela is currently divided into what are essentially apartments. One for Sofia, one for Irene and I assume one for JC. It would likely require renovations and repairs to make it suitable for a family of four, and these would be paid for with public money. Try selling that to the Spanish taxpayers in the current environment.
To me it would make more sense to have Felipe and Letizia stay where they are permanently and then, with minor renovations, the existing apartments can be used in the future by Leonor until she becomes Queen, assuming that happens, and Sofia until she marries.
Agree with this 100%
It would have become untenable to have JC live in a state owned property in Spain, so it's better to move abroad. But as Blog Real already stated, there are lots of questions now surrounding JC that will both the RF and the government a headache.
JC once said in an interview that in Spain you have to show the public every day that you are worth of being King, otherwise they will kick you out. This proved true again and let's add the government to it.
When it suits them or the climate is right, they will drop Felipe or Leonor or even her heir like a hot potato. The events around JC show again that nothing is save and the protection of those who matter is fickle.
Juan Carlos is trying to protect Felipe and the monarchy.
Juan Carlos is trying to protect Felipe and the monarchy.
Then why be unclear about his destination, a place that's so hard to be extradited from?
He's acting like a fugitive and only the major worldwide crises are going to keep him from embarrassing Felipe and the monarchy any further.
Legally, I guess that works, but Portugal doesn't seem like quite far enough. It's a smaller world than when the Duke of Windsor went to France.
This whole thing is so ignominious.
,,, But as Blog Real already stated, there are lots of questions now surrounding JC that will both the RF and the government a headache.
JC once said in an interview that in Spain you have to show the public every day that you are worth of being King, otherwise they will kick you out. This proved true again and let's add the government to it.
When it suits them or the climate is right, they will drop Felipe or Leonor or even her heir like a hot potato. The events around JC show again that nothing is save and the protection of those who matter is fickle.
Is there an English translation of JC‘s letter?? Unfortunately I don‘t speak Spanish.
There is something I do not understand in this whole Juan Carlos kickback/bribery/corruption money. Perhaps someone could explain.
It is established fact that KJC received $100 million from the late king of Saudi Arabia some years ago. (well documented press articles referred to the Ministry of finance in Saudi admitting to the transfer *gift*) It is widely rumoured that this has to do with Spanish consortium obtaining a big contract to do a train link in Saudi Arabia.
In cases like that it is the company who seeks the contract who pays the kickback. So logic would tell us that the Spanish consortium who is after the big contract would “give” a bribe/kick back/$favour -whatever you call it- to the decision maker in Saudi Arabia in exchange for them making the decision in favour of said company.. Not the other way around. I could also imagine the Spanish consortium contractor paying a gratification to KJC so that he could use his contacts, intercede in their favour with his friends the decision makers in Saudi Arabia. But why would the decision maker -Saudi Arabia-who awards the contract give a kickback in this case?
Everything in this case defies logic. Then turn around and transfer a huge chunk of the money to your mistress. Oh boy.... There is a lot we don’t know about this case.
I think this is hardly an excuse to act like this. I hope the monarchy will survive another major blow...!I'm so sorry for Spain; JC did a lot to help build a Spanish democracy after Franco. It is such a shame, that money business. I can understand, how it happend, as the spanish royals were poor, and so he wanted to build a fortune for his family. As a reigning King, you do not have many ways to do business and earning money nowadays. He couldn't abolish cloisters and take the land for himselve or behead people for their money. In modern times royals cannot even open shops or businesses to earn money. So he was in a difficult situation.
He cannot become a fugitive in case there will be prosecution. I doubt there will be but if there is, he will have to come to Spain to face whatever he has to face or Felipe and his granddaughter will suffer. But JC might soon to be too old to face anything anyway.
I totally believe this, JC did not sign this voluntarily and Felipe had a hard time convincing his father. The government will have pressured Felipe to no end to further distance himself from his father and even though this is a step to take the pressure off the cooker, the topic itself will not go away with JC exiling himself.
There is something I do not understand in this whole Juan Carlos kickback/bribery/corruption money. Perhaps someone could explain.
It is established fact that KJC received $100 million from the late king of Saudi Arabia some years ago. (well documented press articles referred to the Ministry of finance in Saudi admitting to the transfer *gift*) It is widely rumoured that this has to do with Spanish consortium obtaining a big contract to do a train link in Saudi Arabia.
In cases like that it is the company who seeks the contract who pays the kickback. So logic would tell us that the Spanish consortium who is after the big contract would “give” a bribe/kick back/$favour -whatever you call it- to the decision maker in Saudi Arabia in exchange for them making the decision in favour of said company.. Not the other way around. I could also imagine the Spanish consortium contractor paying a gratification to KJC so that he could use his contacts, intercede in their favour with his friends the decision makers in Saudi Arabia. But why would the decision maker -Saudi Arabia-who awards the contract give a kickback in this case?
Everything in this case defies logic. Then turn around and transfer a huge chunk of the money to your mistress. Oh boy.... There is a lot we don’t know about this case.
Is he trying to avoid prosecution or just trying not to embarrass Felipe?
I was replaying to thatI think this is hardly an excuse to act like this. I hope the monarchy will survive another major blow...!
I noticed in an unsubstantiated post on social media that Queen Sofia now spends most of her time in London, 'close to her Greek family.'
Does anyone know if there is any truth in this? It seems unlikely, since I think her brother King Constantine spends most of his time in Greece.
Felipe and Sofia have always been quite close. Wouldn't it be relatively simple for him and Letizia and the girls to move into Zarzuela, supporting her?
Seems like it could fix a few things.
There's also the issue of his aunt Irene, if his mother goes anywhere.
He cannot become a fugitive in case there will be prosecution. I doubt there will be but if there is, he will have to come to Spain to face whatever he has to face or Felipe and his granddaughter will suffer. But JC might soon to be too old to face anything anyway.
I understand your opinion, and I partially agree.
I think this was all planned between the government and the royal house.
The prime minister says that he does not know the destination where King Juan Carlos went, but of course that is not true.
In my opinion, the reason why King Juan Carlos left Spain for an unknown destination is just to try to protect JC's privacy.
Juan Carlos, according to the Spanish press, is on the property of some millionaire friends in the Dominican Republic, a place where he will have all the security necessary to live in peace. I believe that JC will now live on the fortune he obviously accumulated during the time he was King of Spain.
I also believe that another reason for choosing the Dominican Republic is also to protect King Juan Carlos at the judicial level, to try to avoid possible detention.
It is said that he may return to Spain in September. It will be?
Two strong willed queens at the Zarzuela Palace sounds like a terrible idea.
There were rumours a few years back that Queen Sofia could relocate to the Marivent Palace in Mallorca.
Apparently that same question has been broached in Spain. Are there any plausible theories as for why the Saudi Arabian government would be the institution that paid the alleged kickback?
Two strong willed queens at the Zarzuela Palace sounds like a terrible idea.
There were rumours a few years back that Queen Sofia could relocate to the Marivent Palace in Mallorca.