Former King Juan Carlos I of Spain celebrated his 86th birthday this January 5, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, where he has resided since announcing his decision to leave his native country four years ago.
The father of the current King Felipe VI hosted a party at his luxurious home in the Arab region, attended by some 80 people including friends and family.
Former King Juan Carlos’ birthday party
According to Vanitatis magazine, the emeritus monarch offered an informal cocktail party to his guests, which included typical Spanish products such as Iberian ham and wine.
Among the attendees were the former king’s daughters, the infantas Elena and Cristina, as well as some of his grandchildren, such as Victoria Federica and Pablo and Irene Urdangarin.
Most of the guests were residents of the area, where King Juan Carlos has a wide network of contacts among businessmen, hoteliers and restaurant owners.
Only 30% of the attendees traveled from Spain to accompany the grandfather of Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia on his special day.
The great absence was that of King Felipe VI, who did not attend his father’s birthday and did not congratulate him publicly.
It is not known if there was any private contact between the two to express their wishes.
Who did show his affection to the former king was his granddaughter Victoria Federica, who posted a photo of her grandfather as a young man on her Instagram account with the message, “Congratulations grandfather, I love you!”
