Everyone can rest easy: Juan Carlos I is living in a hotel in Abu Dhabi

Juan Carlos I in Abu Dhabi during a visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2014.
02/03/2026
3 min

BarcelonaThe emeritus king is "well" and "calm," despite the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. It hadn't occurred to me to worry about him, but this news published this Monday on RTVE It reminded me that, indeed, Juan Carlos I still lives in the Persian Gulf. His mansion in Abu Dhabi is under construction, and for the past few months, he has been staying in a luxury hotel in the United Arab Emirates. No one should worry, because the escalating conflict doesn't seem likely to prevent him from returning to Sanxenxo this month to participate in the regattas.

Furthermore, since last week, Juan Carlos I has been feeling refreshed. thanks to the declassification of the 23-F documents...at least those that haven't been lost to time. To the point that the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, believes the time has come to bring him back to Spain, ignoring the fact that his flight to the East has nothing to do with the attempted coup 45 years ago.

That Feijóo lacks a knack for timing is no surprise, as he is often reminded—journalist Carlos Alsina does so masterfully. in this monologueBut to try to portray King Juan Carlos as a victim expelled from his country by the Sánchez government bordered on the ridiculous. The PSOE didn't even need to react, because the Zarzuela Palace had already done so, reminding Juan Carlos that if he wants to return, he will have to establish his tax residency in Spain; that is to say, The tax authorities should be able to know what your assets are.Neither Juan Carlos, nor Pedro Sánchez, nor King Felipe are interested in anything changing. This was, in fact, the plan to rescue the monarchy from the excesses of a king who acted with an impunity more befitting another regime, the one his friend Alfonso Armada intended to impose on February 23rd.

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