In February 2023, the life of Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón, the nephew of the King of Spain, took an unexpected turn.
At the age of 26, he decided to distance himself from the constant controversies that had marked his youth, following the advice of his mother, the Infanta Elena.
Thus, he set course for Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in an attempt to leave behind the whirlwind of scandals that haunted him in Spain.
This move brought him closer to his grandfather, King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, who had also sought refuge in the same country since August 2020.
With this change of scenery, Froilán has achieved what many thought impossible: a whole year without being involved in any scandal.
Felipe Juan Froilan: Over a Year Scandal-Free
The life of Felipe Juan Froilan had been marked for years by headlines that highlighted his misfortunes rather than his achievements, has taken a 180-degree turn. Far from conflicts, Froilán has taken advantage of his stay in Abu Dhabi to grow both personally and professionally.
From an early age, Froilán was known for his restless and rebellious behavior. The media began to talk about him with a tone of concern when he was just a child.
As he grew up, the childhood pranks turned into more serious incidents. Fights, some of them with knives, his poor school grades, and his fondness for late-night parties were the predominant themes in the headlines involving him.
Froilán’s life was full of problematic episodes, the most notorious of which was his controversial self-inflicted shooting. At only 13 years old, Froilán had to undergo emergency surgery after he shot himself in the foot.
Another notorious episode was when he tried to take advantage of his royal status to skip lines at a theme park, which generated a wave of criticism.
The Golden Exile
One of the most critical moments in his life occurred in July 2022, during his 24th birthday celebration at a nightclub in Marbella.
What was supposed to be a night of partying ended in tragedy when an attendee fired several bullets, leaving five people injured.
Months later, in November, he was again involved in a fight in a nightclub in Madrid, which culminated in one of his friends being injured and him being detained by the police.
These incidents led the Infanta Elena to take the decision to send her son to Abu Dhabi, together with his grandfather, in what many media have called “the golden exile”.
Since his arrival in the Emirates, Froilán has adopted a much lower profile. His life, once marked by constant controversy, has been transformed, and today he is virtually unknown in his country’s press.
In Abu Dhabi, Froilán has found a new path. Thanks to his academic background, he has landed a position with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, one of the largest oil companies in the world.
Despite residing in Abu Dhabi, Froilán has returned to Spain on several occasions, although always for short periods and staying away from any kind of controversy.
It seems that King Felipe’s eldest nephew has finally managed to leave his turbulent past behind, managing to remain scandal-free for more than a year.