Tragedy of the Death of Juan Carlos's Brother Alfonso (1941-1956)


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I really think one of the saddest things about it is that the king was never able to use his brother's name for any kind of memorial or charity that might have sincerely helped others and eased his own burdens a bit, even when he was legally immune.

I still wish he would, though I'm not sure it's occurred to him.

Perhaps Felipe will remember his uncle after JC dies.

This accident came as a great shock to the royal family and especially to King Juan Carlos.
I think the king rarely spoke publicly about this matter, I think he never fully recovered from this event.
The Count of Barcelona is said to have long blamed Juan Carlos for his brother's death and was slow to forgive him. The Countess of Barcelona also never fully recovered from the death of her son, as is normal.
I don't think Juan Carlos would ever feel comfortable doing any kind of memorial with his brother's name, because that's a very sensitive subject for him.
 
He may not have spoken publicly about it but he clearly needed to do so privately, to Corinna and probably many others. It's obviously stayed as an unhealed wound, and the fact that he "had" to say nothing about it and act like it never happened almost certainly made it worse. His parents have been gone for many years, but I don't think that it helped them, either.

I think if Alfonso's death had been treated as the tragic accident it was and some — any — good had been done in the young prince's name at some point, it probably would have provided a small bit of relief and comfort for his family. (I think any psychologist or counselor would have suggested this to the king, but sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if he has never gotten to speak to anybody professionally about what happened.) Even if he just planted a forest somewhere and named it after his brother, that probably would have done more good for him than the way it is now.

As it is, it's more than 65 years later, Alfonsito is erased, which is wrong, and still haunting Juan Carlos.
 
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In the second episode of Corinna's podcast, she spoke about the death of Alfonso, the brother of King Juan Carlos.

"He told me that his younger brother was the really brilliant one, the handsome one, the best golf player, his parents' favorite son. Juan Carlos is very dyslexic and, despite being left-handed, they forced him to write with his right hand. He was forced to obey. He felt that his younger brother was really the shining light in the family."

"Clearly, they were playing a stupid game. In any case, he loaded the gun. It has never been properly investigated, of course, but I think that, deep in his soul and in his head, he feels a great guilt" she say. "He has nightmares about it. I think what traumatized him the most was that his father's first reaction was to say, 'Promise me you didn't do it on purpose.' thought he had deliberately shot his brother."

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencia...aro-segundo-capitulo-poscast-corinna_3518055/
 
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OMG, I can't believe this vile person, Corinna, is bringing back and talking about a personal tragedy Juan Carlos had when they were both children playing with guns. Something that happens too often here in the USA where guns are around homes like coffeemakers.
 
There seems to be an overrepresentation of dyslexic monarchs.

It must be pretty damning for JC to think his father thought he did it on purpose, but there are only two other conclusions:
— the people at the military academy failed to teach him even the most elementary principles of gun safety
— or what seems to have happened; Juan Carlos was so stupid and careless here that he just ignored them all.... and then his father thought it was deliberate. Poor guy.
 
Documentary on the death of Infante Alfonso:


While watching this sad documentary, I was shocked to see the strong physical resemblance between Infante Alfonso "Alfonsito" and his grand niece the Infanta Sofia, Felipe's younger daughter.

It is truly remarkable!:ohmy:
 
The persons interviewed want to assume it was intentional and want to establish a rivalry and motives that didn't exist, but they were just kids playing with guns.
 
The persons interviewed want to assume it was intentional and want to establish a rivalry and motives that didn't exist, but they were just kids playing with guns.

They weren't just kids "playing with guns", though, with no idea of how they worked, what they could do, or how they're supposed to be handled. Juan Carlos was an adult and a military cadet who SHOULD have received firearms training to go along with the weapon he'd been issued... which is exactly why his father made him swear it was an accident. He ACTED like a stupid kid, but that's a very different thing.

If JC had not been forced to continue as the heir presumptive, who would be the Spanish monarch now, assuming the restoration happened?
 
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:previous: Would Infanta Pilar, the eldest daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona have become the Queen Regnant of Spain?
 
:previous: Would Infanta Pilar, the eldest daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona have become the Queen Regnant of Spain?

I was thinking Infante Jaime's son or one of the Carlistas. But that's why I asked. I doubt Franco would have wanted a woman.
 
:previous: Would Infanta Pilar, the eldest daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona have become the Queen Regnant of Spain?

Franco wasn't considering anyone that was not a male, and the main reason he opted to restore the monarchy was to get the Catholic church and conservatives on his side as he held the power. For those of us here that grew up during his days, his despicable family used to brag they would hold on to the El Pardo royal palace as their home for a thousand years. Franco's sister was even more rotten, she used public records to claim ownership of anything confiscated by her brother or even change property records and become a major landlord in Spain using extorsion and forgery.

Re Juan Carlos and his brother, Franco always had a back up heir or three and considered the Carlistas' prince, but they refused his conditions. Then he had in place Juan Carlos' 1st cousin, the Duke of Cadiz that married Franco's grand daughter. And if all that failed, he also considered to give the crown back to the Hapsburgs via the deposed Austrian branch.

Like in the movie Dune, he had plans within plans
 
Absolutely, tragic to lose a child. Really, it falls outside the order for a parent to outlive their children
 
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