On December 20, Infanta Elena celebrated her 60th birthday surrounded by her family, including her father, King Juan Carlos, who returned from Abu Dhabi for the occasion.
The family dinner was held at a well-known restaurant in Madrid, where the royals enjoyed a relaxed and warm evening.
Gesture between Infanta Elena and King Juan Carlos
Despite the impressive nature of the evening, it was the farewell gesture between the King Emeritus and his eldest daughter that caught the media’s attention, demonstrating the complicity and affection they have for each other.
As they left, Juan Carlos and Elena gave each other two kisses and a bow, and made the sign of the cross on each other’s foreheads.
But the most curious thing was that they were also high-fiving, fist-bumping, and slapping each other’s chests while looking at each other with smiles on their faces.
@trendencias El saludo entre Elena y el rey emérito, Juan Carlos I del que todo el mundo habla. Una muestra más de la complicidad y preferencia que hay entre padre e hija. #reyemerito #juancarlos #reyjuancarlos #juancarlosdeborbon #infantaelena #elenadeborbón ♬ sonido original – Trendencias
This informal and funny gesture went viral on social media, especially on TikTok, where many users commented on the scene.
According to the Vanitatis portal, this is a family game that King Juan Carlos has practiced since his youth.
However, it is not usual to see it in public, as it is usually reserved for the most intimate and family moments.
Finally, experts in body language, point out that the fact of having done it in front of journalists, is because they want to project an image of normality and cordiality.