King Juan Carlos has returned unexpectedly to Spain as the country’s royals had one of their most surprising Easter weekends in years.
The former monarch, who abdicated in 2014, took the centre seat in the VIP box at a bullfight in Seville held on Easter Sunday and was given a standing ovation as he made his way in.
The crowd stood for the national anthem and it was played publicly with all eyes on Juan Carlos, who reigned in Spain from 1975 until 2014, a rare event since his abdication.
It was the latest in a series of increasingly surprising appearances by a number of Spain’s royals over the past few days although the unannounced return of Juan Carlos to the country has provoked the most interest.
Last week, his younger daughter, Infanta Cristina, made her first formal appearance in Mallorca since she was tried and acquitted of financial wrongdoings. The Infanta joined her mother, Queen Sofia, at the Palace of Marivent on the island.
Later, she was seen with Queen Sofia and her sister, Infanta Elena, at traditional parades in Murcia to mark Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
This has been a particularly difficult Easter for Sofia, 88, as it is her first since she lost her beloved younger sister, Princess Irene, in January.
Within hours of that appearance, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were seen at an Easter event in a suburb of Madrid, joining crowds incognito to watch a religious procession go past.
Soon afterwards, it was confirmed that Letizia and her two daughters had made a secret visit to one of the most hotly anticipated music events of the year in Spain. Photos emerged on social media of the Queen of Spain along with Princess Leonor, 20, and Infanta Sofia, 18, at the Rosalia concert, part of her 2026 Lux tour.
It’s a rare sighting of Leonor who is finishing her year of training with Spain’s air force. That will conclude her three years of military formation and speculation is now mounting about what she will do next. Her sister, Sofia, is in the first year of university study.
However, the biggest shock came when Juan Carlos returned to Spain. He headed to Seville where he was met by Elena and her son and daughter, Felipe and Victoria Federica de Marichalar.
The family had lunch together on Easter Sunday with his grandchildren helping King Juan Carlos to his car. During the short walk from the restaurant to the vehicle, he was greeted with shouts of ‘Viva el Rey’ or ‘Long Live the king’.
Later, Juan Carlos and Elena headed to the Real Maestranza de Cabelleria de Sevilla bull fight. The former monarch was again applauded on his way into the bullfight.
It’s his first visit to Spain in almost six months. King Felipe and Queen Letizia spent Easter Sunday privately.
