They say that at 86 years old Juan Carlos I He is a little obsessed about what will happen when he dies and details such as where he will be buried. They say that especially since the funerals of Elizabeth II and Constantine of Greece, the Emeritus has expressed to some people in his circle his fear of dying outside of Spain. “He is living in Abu Dhabi because he wants to, because he prefers to pay taxes there,” tells us a person who has worked in Zarzuela until not long ago. But his residence is one thing and honor, glory and history are another. Maybe Felipe Gonzalez be a helpful advisor in this situation, as it has been for decades.
This week we visited Spain and we learned about some of their activities. We have seen him at the mayor’s wedding José Luis Martínez-Almeida and Teresa Urquijo and at the subsequent banquet or funeral this Monday for his nephew, Fernando Gómez-Acebo, held in the military cathedral, the temple of the Armed Forces. But the mass for the son of the Infanta Doña Pilar did not last long and Juan Carlos I had another less visible appointment.
The former head of state sat in the church next to Mrs. Sofia and their daughters, infantas Elena y Cristina. Kings Felipe and Letizia The liturgy was presided over by Fernando Gómez-Acebo and the brothers of ‘Coco’ (as they called the deceased in the family) occupied the first pews next to the Infanta Margarethe Dr. Zurita and the cousins Maria y Alfonsoin addition to the nephews Marichalar Borbón and the Bourbon Two Sicilies. Fernando’s wife was also there, Nadia Halamandariand the son they had in common, eight years old.
The mass was sung, the anthem of Spain sounded and Death is not the end, as usually happens at military funerals. We also saw among those present Luis Alfonso de Borbón, Paloma Cuevas, Mariola Calderon, Paloma Segrelles, Anna Gamazo, Piru de Urquijograndmother of Teresa Urquijo, Carla Royo Vilanova o Laura Ponte. Pedro Trapote y Begoña García-Vaquerosister-in-law of Felipe González, were also there.
Juan Carlos I had arrived at the temple a quarter of an hour before his son did with Doña Letizia and took his place next to Doña Sofía. Then the infantas Cristina and Elena arrived, each one on her side, and Froilán and Victoria Federica, who came together. It was six o’clock when Kings Felipe and Letizia arrived. At the door, they received the monarch and his wife Simoneta, Beltran, Juan y Bruno.
Did Juan Carlos I sleep at Felipe González’s house?
Businessman Pedro Trapotehusband of Begoña García-Vaquero, Mar García Vaquero’s sister is the owner, at least in theory, of the immense apartment in which she resides. Felipe Gonzalez with his second wife, on Velázquez Street, in the best of the Salamanca neighborhood. The former president has lived there for 16 years. He pays rent to his brother-in-law. It is a property located on the first numbers of Velázquez Street, measuring 350 square meters, valued at more than four million euros. On another floor of the same building, Felipe González also has his office, where he works with his daughter, Maria Gonzalez Romerowho manages his father’s agenda.
It was this Monday, after the funeral for Fernando Gómez-Acebo, when Juan Carlos I went to the former president’s house, according to eyewitnesses who confirm to Informalia the arrival of the previous Head of State. We can assure that the meeting between the two old friends took place but not that the father of Felipe VI spent the night there, although we did not see the former monarch leave the place.
The relationship between Juan Carlos I and Felipe González was always infinitely closer than with other former presidents, not to mention if we compare it with José María Aznar, whose friendship with the emeritus is non-existent. He always was. Juan Carlos I invited Felipe González to his birthday in Abu Dhabi. Another thing is that he didn’t go. But that trust forged over decades allows the former general secretary of the PSOE (who turned 82 a month ago) to influence the controversial actions of the emeritus. It was Felipe González who advised Juan Carlos I to abdicate, ten years ago. The state secrets that the former king and the former president treasure are infinite. Both characters are essential to understand the Transition. “On 23-F Juan Carlos agreed with Armada and Felipe González,” he said Luis María Anson just a few weeks ago. We cannot know what the former monarch and Felipe González talked about this Monday, but it is good to know that they were chatting. Perhaps Philip offered his house to the king. Maybe not.
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