It costs the Balearic government a year to maintain the palace of sea wind one million euros approximately. Some time ago, that item amounted to 1,700,000 euros, but it was cut to the current figure.
In Mallorca there is a very broad consensus on this mansion, destined for the summer vacations of the Royal Family, and very little used in relation to what it costs to maintain it. The left-wing republican and nationalist parties, which govern the islands in coalition with the socialists, go further and insistently ask that Marivent be returned to the Mallorcans and stop serving for the use and enjoyment of the King and his relatives.
For its part, there is a feeling in society in general, according to which the scarce ten days of summer that pass Felipe VI, Joy and her daughters princess eleanor and the infanta sofia on the island they do not justify that the palace is reserved and maintained for them, as if they lived all year round. Only Doña Sofía, she enjoys more than the kings, the beautiful enclosure on the outskirts of Palma.
There is still no reaction among these critical sectors to the news that National Heritage is going to tender the new cleaning tasks of the palace for a value of 121.000 euros. An operation that the private company that wins the competition must carry out in eleven months. The first comments to this news, are between ironic and humorous, around the price of what it costs to clean a family residence.
What is striking for some is the large amount of public money that is spent each year to keep a mansion impeccable that is only inhabited for a few days in summer, in the case of kings, and two more weeks, for the emeritus queen.
Last year, they were allocated to fixing and varnishing furniture, 2.299 euros and to set up the swimming pools, more than 45,000 euros for just over a week’s stay.
Also read: Work and pleasure in Mallorca: Felipe, Letizia and their daughters arrive on the island next weekend with two official commitments
The scant relationship of the current kings with the island is once again questioned. In the local press this summer was already being debated about whether it is not the time for the Marivent palace to return to public utility as its original owner, the Greek patron, ordered Juan Saridakis. The widow of this collector in love with Majorca, fulfilling her husband’s wishes, left in her will that Marivent be a museum open to anyone who wanted to visit its works of art and gardens.
But, in 1973, the deputation of Mallorca, against the opinion of the Saridakis heirs, decided that the palace would be the summer residence of the Royal Family, arguing that it would be something very positive for the image, tourism and economy of Mallorca. . Juan Carlos de Bourbon and Bourbon knew how to understand the message and in his new summer residence he received Hassan II from Morocco, to Isabel II, a Carlos y Diana of Wales, Bill Clinton, the czech Vaclav Havel, Jimmy Carter, Georges Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev o Hussein from Jordan. Those meetings made the front pages of the press around the world and placed Mallorca on the international political and social map, as well as benefiting Spain’s foreign relations in every way.
the activity of sea wind in the times of Juan Carlos I it was much more intense and now there is talk of a blackout of the palace in the reign of Felipe VI. The current kings do not receive foreign dignitaries and do not use this residence as a platform for public relations for Spain and the Crown. On the other hand, it seems that Marivent does not like the kings either for their summer vacations. Felipe, Letizia and their daughters have never spent more than ten days at their residence in Palma. In 2017, only 8 days.
In the Marvient compound, in addition to the Son Vent palace, there is an old military mansion, converted into a private residence for the then Prince Felipe, with its own pool, as well as other houses, conditioned at the time for the princesses Elena and Cristina and their families, who they have barely set foot again.