Published on 07-Aug-2020
Khushboo Razdan
It was a chilly December morning in 1948 when 10-year-old prince Juan Carlos, grandson of exiled Spanish King Alfonso XIII, first set foot on the land his ancestors had ruled through a series of ages. Sixty-two years on, the 82-year-old former king has fled into oblivion to escape a cloud of scandal and possible scrutiny over alleged financial corruption.
Spain's royal household broke the news on Monday with a letter sent by the emeritus king to his son, reigning monarch Felipe VI, saying it was time to "move outside of Spain" in light of the "public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are generating." The stunning revelation, without any indication about his next destination, left Spaniards wondering about their former ruler's whereabouts.
While a few reports suggest he has gone to the Dominican Republic, some say Portugal, France or Italy could not be ruled out as his refuge. The ABC newspaper reported a Caribbean country is also on the haven list. However, El Confidencial said he was in his childhood home, not far from Lisbon.
So, what forced a former king to run like a fugitive?