But this summer, the former monarch was not in Mallorca on royal business. Indeed, he arrived from Geneva and spent just 24 hours in Mallorca, staying at a friend’s house in Cala d’Or rather than spending the night in the Palace. Sources told HOLA! that Juan Carlos’ brief reunion in Spain was nevertheless a ‘moment of happiness’ that left him ‘very pleased’.
After joining his family at Marivent, the King continued with the primary objective of his visit, joining Rafael Nadal to host the 80th birthday celebration of close friend Muguel Arias. Juan Carlos and Sofia are known to enjoy a warm relationship with the legendary tennis player, and both were invited to his wedding in 2019, which marked the former monarch’s last social engagements in Mallorca. King Juan Carlos’ last official visit to the island came in 2018, when he joined his son King Felipe and the royal family at Easter Mass in Palma de Mallorca.
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The former king’s last official engagement in Mallorca came in Easter 2018, when he joined King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia for traditional celebrations
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It was his first time joining the family at the traditional Easter celebrations since 2014, the year he was forced to abdicate in favour of his son. He has, however, insisted that he ‘never stopped serving Spain and the Spanish people,’ and in November last year released a memoir, titled Reconciliation, in which he stressed his loyalty to the Crown.
Juan Carlos ascended to the throne in November 1975 following the death of General Franco, who chose him as his successor following the reinstatement of the monarchy; his grandfather, Alfonso XIII, was the last King of Spain before the abolition in 1931. In previous years, Juan Carlos was considered one of Spain’s most respected public figures, particularly for dismantling the Francoist regime and reinstating a democracy.