The King of Spain has paid his last respects to close friend, Jaime Carvajal, who died unexpectedly this week.
Felipe VI, accompanied by Queen Letizia, was greeted by Jaime Carvajal’s family on arrival at the funeral home in Madrid where the funeral chapel has been set up. The royal couple spent time with his nearest relations including his wife, Xandra Falco, and their three daughters.
Embed from Getty ImagesJaime Carvajal was 56 when he passed away suddenly at his home in Madrid on September 2nd 2020. It is believed he had a heart attack. He had just returned from his summer break in Mallorca. Obituaries describe him as a kind, honest man and his devotion to Spain has been highlighted in many of them. He worked in banking.
Jaime Carvajal was a long time friend of King Felipe. In 1998, the then Prince of Asturias was one of the witnesses at his wedding while Felipe’s sister, Infanta Cristina and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, were also among the guests.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, links between the Spanish royals and the Carvajal family go back much further. Jaime Carvajal’s father, also called Jaime, was one of the group of children chosen to be educated alongside Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, when he was brought back to Spain as a ten year old in 1948 with a view to the ultimate restoration of the monarchy. The two men spent their formative years together, laying the groundwork for the ongoing friendship between the two families.
That bond was underlined when King Felipe’s sister, Infanta Elena, also paid her last respects and offered her condolences to the family.