King Juan Carlos Hunting Accident & Trip To Africa: 2012

[Madame Royale]

I may well be wrong, they may be madly and deeply in love. Hence no mention of it being a factual assessment. I'm personally not inclined to think that they are, but you never know.

Personally, I've not known too many people who cheat when they are in love with their spouse or partner; a just observation when generally those who are married, are anticipated to love, honour and obey/cherish (as no doubt the King and Queen would have stated - certainly to that affect - in their own wedding vowes).

You can love someone, but not necessarily be in love with them. I affirm that if someone is in love then they would endeavour to recognise the concerns, needs and honour of their partner and minimise any possible offence or subjection that would otherwise bring them personal unhappiness, grief or insult. At the end of the day, most people don't like being cheated on, as "odd" as that may seem.

I can't imagine their 'Catholic' Majesties agreeing before they wed that it is entirely acceptable to have an open marriage, nor do I anticipate that it's what the Queen would have wished for herself. But she's not in a position to make much of a fuss about it so what can be done except for accepting that the person she married has a long standing issue with fidelity?! Not much I'd imagine. She just gets on with the business of monarchy as per usual and no doubt focuses on things and people that bring her comfort or are of interest to her.

[LadyFinn]

Letizia von Spanien: Sie widmet all ihre Kraft der Familie! - BUNTE
Felipe og Letizia besøger Juan Carlos - Billed-Bladet Danmark - Picasa-verkkoalbumit

[grevinnan]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Why do you assume that just because the King may be unfaithful to his wife their marriage is loveless? Fidelity does not equal love just as infidelity does not equal lack of love.

You are absolutely correct. However, one would assume a marriage would include comforting, caring for and supporting each other. Being a shoulder to lean on and a confidante. It would appear to be difficult to have that kind of relationship with a spouse that have lived apart from you for a very long time and that have had mistresses for most if not all of the marriage. If you are wealthy and not in the public eye you can live your lives totally separate and be content. But being a royal person there is the constant need to be seen as a nice and perfect family. My heart goes out to Queen Sofia. She deserve someone in her life into whose arms she can retreat and be comforted and loved.

[marine2109]

Family rally round King of Spain after hip operation

King of Spain operation: King Juan Carlos has hip replacement surgery - hellomagazine.com

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Artemisia

Queen Sofia visited King Juan Carlos at the hospital, as usual smiling and waving as if nothing were wrong.
Gallery from Getty

I wonder if there were any hostile crowds outside?

[carlota]

I may well be wrong, they may be madly and deeply in love. Hence no mention of it being a factual assessment. I'm personally not inclined to think that they are, but you never know.

madly and deeply in love is an overstatement. i wouldn't say that many couples are madly in love after 30+ years of marriage. after such a long time, you are life partners, not lovers anymore. hopefully you'd have overcome many problems, many challenges... and hopefully people mature and evolve from their "madly in love" state. so i wouldn't say it is necessarily bad if they are not anymore "madly in love" at this stage in their lives.

[camelot23ca]

Originally Posted by Madame Royale

I may well be wrong, they may be madly and deeply in love. Hence no mention of it being a factual assessment. I'm personally not inclined to think that they are, but you never know.

Personally, I've not known too many people who cheat when they are in love with their spouse or partner; a just observation when generally those who are married, are anticipated to love, honour and obey/cherish (as no doubt the King and Queen would have stated - certainly to that affect - in their own wedding vowes).

You can love someone, but not necessarily be in love with them. I affirm that if someone is in love then they would endeavour to recognise the concerns, needs and honour of their partner and minimise any possible offence or subjection that would otherwise bring them personal unhappiness, grief or insult. At the end of the day, most people don't like being cheated on, as "odd" as that may seem.

I can't imagine their 'Catholic' Majesties agreeing before they wed that it is entirely acceptable to have an open marriage, nor do I anticipate that it's what the Queen would have wished for herself. But she's not in a position to make much of a fuss about it so what can be done except for accepting that the person she married has a long standing issue with fidelity?! Not much I'd imagine. She just gets on with the business of monarchy as per usual and no doubt focuses on things and people that bring her comfort or are of interest to her.

If nothing else, what they probably realize at this point is that they're stronger as a couple than they would be as separate individuals. I don't discount the infidelity, and it's not a marriage I'd want for myself, but Juan Carlos and Sophia were brought up in a very different time and place, in circumstances that were unique even amongst their own generation.

I remember reading a book about Queen Elizabeth II, (the name is escaping me now), in which her marriage with Prince Phillip was discussed and the author made the statement that - and I'm paraphrasing here - women of QEII's generation and class were brought up to expect loyalty, not necessarily fidelity. I think that may also be a reasonably good description of the Spanish royal marriage - Juan Carlos may not be faithful to Sophia, and maybe they don't even get along all the time, but I'd bet money he'd step in front of a bullet for her.

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

I wonder if there were any hostile crowds outside?

I doubt it.
Even if people tried to arrange demonstrations of any kind in front of the hospital, security services wouldn't let it actually happen.

[Madame Royale]

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

...that they're stronger as a couple than they would be as separate individuals.

Stronger as a couple, perhaps even if only due to circumstance. For monarchy's sake, they really can't afford to be seen as anything else.

madly and deeply in love is an overstatement

Ya think?

[genegirl99]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Long enough to give him a good whack over the head with her purse.

Wonder what was in her purse... Wink, wink...

[Winnie]

Originally Posted by genegirl99

Wonder what was in her purse... Wink, wink...

One would hope a brick.

[Baroness of Books]

Let's hope she thumped his head and not his hip.

[Bine221]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Long enough to give him a good whack over the head with her purse.

Great!
BYe Bine

[Mermaid1962]

Indeed it would. Sorry about my typo.

Originally Posted by EIIR

I assume you mean pheasants, Mermaid. I think royals shooting peasants really would cause an uproar .

[genegirl99]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Indeed it would. Sorry about my typo.

Blame autocorrect!

I'm getting a good lesson on Juan Carlos reading these forums. I would have never guessed that about him. But please, blame the family for you running off to Botswana, I can come up with a dozen other activities he could do instead of going big game hunting...he sounds like the kid who said he was bored and so he started several fires in a school...

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by grevinnan

Of course they are used for food, why wouldn't they?

Hunters & Sportsman what does Elephant meat taste like?*? - Yahoo! Answers

Here is an account although I can not vouch for the accuracy of this particular post.

This is honestly the first time I have ever heard about elephants being hunted for food. EVER.

I know that they are killed for their ivory tusks.

Color me flabbergasted and depressed.

[EIIR]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

Indeed it would. Sorry about my typo.

Don't apologise, Mermaid. I would call that a Freudian slip. It made me chuckle.

[PrincessKaimi]

Originally Posted by Baroness of Books

To be candid, I feel sorrier for the elephants than I do the king though I wish him a speedy recovery. I can't tolerate this pleasure hunting for no reason other than to bring back a big-game trophy, and wish the king had engaged in the usual royal pastime of skiing or yachting if he wanted to take a vacation. My respect for him has plummeted as a result of this senseless slaughter, and just because it's legal in Botswana doesn't mean he had to support it.

As you so often do, Baroness, you express my sentiments exactly.

[NoorMeansLight]

Originally Posted by Artemisia

That's rather telling.
I fear that health issues are not going to be the only problems the King will face in the times to come.

I second that. Anyway, I wish him a speedy recovery and I hope he learned a lesson or two this time, and particularly must have felt now the pain the animals he hunts feel - bad boy!

[tonytex]

Originally Posted by rominet09

Killing, a pleasure ? Especially animals which cannot really hide due to their size ! Horrible !

I know that killing animals for fun, today is extremely aggressive towards an ultra-modern society, but ...There are many royals, who do so ... some openly, some secretly from the public.It is known that the children of Carorlina of Monaco, her own; and also engage in this strange pleasure ... your own Prince Albert II of Monaco ... and of course the Prince Filipe (Spain) many more VIP people linked to the protection of nature, or humanitarian organizations, do the hunting game ...Dont forget the royals of England !!!!!!!!!Another think ... everybody know the safari hunting are the only way to the African people/governs get money to activate the natural parks, and protect the animals in danger. That elephant its in the (end of is days), probaly is dead next year, then decided to hunting him (it as trophy hunting), and money paid in that event type of hunting, is around EUR 100.000,00 euros, that money is the only way to fund the parks, and the salary of the guards to protec the others elephants .... One elephant dead ... and 1000 elephant protect !!!! Dont forget that.