The Spanish king Felipe VI. took drastic measures after a new scandal involving his father Juan Carlos. The monarch will forego the inheritance that he would later be entitled to.
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(dpa)
The royal family announced this surprisingly on Sunday evening. In addition, Juan Carlos, who had abdicated in favor of his son six years ago, will have his salary cut, according to the royal family. The Altkönig (82) had recently received around 194,000 euros a year from the Bourbon household budget. “Felipe breaks the connections to his father,” wrote the newspaper “El Mundo”.
A picture from times gone by: Spanish King Juan Carlos and King Felipe VI. in May 2019 in Madrid.
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The background to this is judicial investigations against the former monarch: Juan Carlos – who had given up the throne in 2014 after a controversial elephant hunt, suspected side jumps and other scandals – is said to have received a bribe of millions. It is about accounts in Switzerland, a transfer of 100 million euros from the Saudi king in 2008 and whether the construction of a high-speed rail line in Saudi Arabia was favored by a Spanish consortium.
According to a report by the British newspaper “The Telegraph”, Felipe (52) should appear as the second beneficiary of an offshore foundation. The royal family now clearly distances itself from this. Felipe didn’t know about it, it said. “The crown must guarantee the dignity of the institution, maintain its reputation and behave with integrity, honesty and transparency,” said the Zarzuela Palace. “This is the only way to earn the moral authority that it needs to perform its functions.”
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