The former king of Spain, Juan Carlos, recalled to the country after more than five years of exile. Recommendation made by the current monarch

The royal family of Spain sees the way open for the controversial former king Juan Carlos to return to his homeland after five and a half years spent in exile in the Middle East, DPA informs on Friday, taken over by Agerpres. The 88-year-old Spanish king-emeritus, who lives in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, could return at any time and live permanently in Spain, the Royal Palace in Madrid announced.

However, the press release from the Royal Palace in Madrid, quoted on Friday by the Spanish public television RTVE and other media companies, insists on the need for the father of the current King Felipe VI to first move his tax residence back to Spain.

This is the only way to avoid “speculation and possible criticism”, protecting at the same time the reputation of the king-emeritus and that of the Spanish monarchy, RTVE reported. Thus, returning to the country would be “a personal decision” of the former Spanish head of state.

Exile under the pressure of the leftist government

After several scandals surrounding his private life and revelations of financial irregularities, former King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favor of his son, Felipe, and moved to Abu Dhabi in 2020. According to media reports, the move came under pressure from the leftist government in Madrid, as well as the Spanish royal family. Since then, Juan Carlos has been excluded from important state events.

Notably, he was absent from Princess Leonor's swearing-in under the Spanish Constitution in October 2023, as well as events marking the 50th anniversary of his coronation as king in November 2025. However, the former sovereign attended several private family gatherings in Abu Dhabi and Spain.

Friday's announcement by the royal family is considered a response to requests from the conservative opposition, which wants the former monarch to return to the country permanently. Such requests have been renewed following the documents about the failed coup of February 23, 1981, published by the Government this week and which show, contrary to speculation, that the former sovereign was not involved in the plans of that coup.

Archival documents allowed the removal of doubts, confirming that Juan Carlos, designated by Franco himself as his successor before his death in 1975, did indeed try to convince the coup plotters to abandon their plans, before making a televised speech that night in defense of the country's democratic transition, which has remained famous ever since.

The recent controversies in which the former king was involved

Most media observers in Spain, however, still doubt that the approval announced by the royal family on Friday will lead to the immediate return of Juan Carlos to the country. He said he misses Spain a lot, despite his occasional visits.

However, the former Spanish sovereign enjoys certain advantages in Abu Dhabi, including financial and fiscal freedom, which he would not be willing to give up. Juan Carlos is considered a close friend of the sheikhs with businesses in the oil industry and who rule the United Arab Emirates.

Juan Carlos sparked further outrage in Spain in November 2025 with the publication of his autobiography, in which he said his 58-year-old son, current King Felipe VI, was “insensitive” and described his daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, as “a troublemaker”.

He apologized without much conviction for his extramarital affairs, financial irregularities and other scandals in which he was involved.

At the same time, Juan Carlos, who is part of the House of Bourbon, had words of praise for the former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco: “I respected him enormously, I valued his intelligence and his political acumen…I never allowed anyone to criticize him in my presence.”