The state of their relationship has been much debated in the two years since King Juan Carlos left Spain for voluntary exile but now footage from a royal funeral seems to show that Felipe VI and his father are on friendly terms.
The two were seen hugging and exchanging warm words as they joined royalty from across Europe in bidding a final farewell to Constantine II, the last King of Greece. Constantine, who died on January 10th 2023, was the uncle of Felipe VI and the brother-in-law of Juan Carlos.
As they joined other mourners at Tatoi, where Constantine was buried, they were seen exchanging a fond farewell. Felipe is seen heading over to kiss his father on both cheeks and then hug him. Juan Carlos appears moved by the exchange. The footage was taken by Greek Star TV.
The two had arrived separately at the funeral. King Juan Carlos made his way to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens with his wife, Queen Sofia, the elder sister of Constantine II. They were accompanied by their two daughters, Infanta Elena, and Infanta Cristina, and several of their grandchildren.
King Felipe VI, with Queen Letizia, arrived later. Throughout the ceremony, Felipe sat with other crowned heads of Europe on one side of the coffin. Juan Carlos and Sofia sat on the other side, with Constantine’s family, directly behind his widow, Queen Anne-Marie, and his heir, Crown Prince Pavlos.
The two kings made their way into the small chapel at Tatoi for further prayers after Constantine’s coffin was brought there ahead of burial. But they stood apart again.
It was only as the burial came to an end and mourners began to make their way out of Tatoi that a brief glimpse of the current state of the relationship between the men was caught. Their brief embrace came as Spanish media reported the two had been seen enjoying chatting at a family dinner on the eve of the funeral in Athens. El Confidencial Digital reports that Felipe VI told his father ”I’m happy to see you.”
The state of their relationship has been the subject of intense speculation for a number of years. Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of Felipe in 2014 and retired from public life several years later. However, in 2020, speculation about his financial affairs became so intense that he left Spain for self imposed exile in Abu Dhabi. All allegations around his finances are now settled but even when he returned, briefly, to Spain in 2022, he wasn’t seen with his son and successor although the two met privately.
King Felipe and King Juan Carlos were seen side by side for the first time since the latter’s exile when they attended the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London in September 2022.
Their public hug is the first indication that their relationship remains cordial. It comes just days after the Spanish press focused on an unexpected photo of Queen Letizia and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. The two women are reported to have been on less than warm terms with one another before but on the eve of King Constantine’s funeral they were seen walking arm in arm in Athens as the Marie-Chantal was comforted over the loss of her father-in-law.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have now returned to Spain.
