King Juan Carlos of Spain has revealed the last words that his only son, King Felipe VI, said to him as he made his way into exile.
Juan Carlos, who ruled Spain from 1975 to 2014, left the country in secrecy in August 2020 after a series of damaging allegations about his finances and his personal life. He had abdicated in June 2014 in favour of Felipe who had repeatedly tried to distance himself from the controversies surrounding his father.
In his memoirs, to be published in France in November, King Juan Carlos said his son used a telling phrase when the spoke for the last time ahead of that exile.
He writes that he was already on the plane, set to leave Spain, when he received a call from Felipe VI. Juan Carlos had left a letter for him, telling him that he was leaving.
In the book, King Juan Carlos said his son asked him ”where are you going, boss?” as he prepared to leave.
The former monarch then explains that he is often called ‘boss’ by people in his family although he says he doesn’t believe he is an authoritarian.
King Felipe then asked his father if he was travelling to London. Juan Carlos says the conversation ended with him telling his son, briefly, that he was actually headed to Abu Dhabi.
Juan Carlos writes that the last words of that conversation were him telling Felipe VI to ”take care of yourself”.
The decision of Juan Carlos to leave the country he reigned over for almost four decades was a shock and it took several weeks for his final destination to be revealed. He is claiming that his son knew his whereabouts from the very beginning.
Spain’s royals announced the exile with the publication of a letter from Juan Carlos to Felipe VI in which the former monarch said ”a year ago, I expressed my desire not to carry out any more institutional duties. Today, guided by my desire to serve the Spanish people as well as possible….I inform you of my considered decision to leave Spain for the time being.”
Juan Carlos wrote in the letter that ”taking into account the public reactions generated by some past events in my life, I wish….to contribute to the facilitation of your work in the calmness that your high responsibility needs”.
He concluded ”I always wanted the best for Spain and for the crown.”
Juan Carlos remains in Abu Dhabi but has returned to Spain several times, meeting Felipe VI privately. The two were also seen together at the funeral of King Constantine II of Greece, brother of Queen Sofia, Juan Carlos’ wife and Felipe’s mother.
The memoir, Reconciliation, is set to be published in Spain in December. However, it hits bookshelves in France next week and the press there has been given a preview with headlines flowing from the material released.
