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Former Spanish King Juan Carlos leaves behind his popular wife during his exile

Queen Sofia of Spain has endured numerous scandals as a result of her husband's behaviour - PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU /AFP
Queen Sofia of Spain has endured numerous scandals as a result of her husband's behaviour - PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU /AFP

As the worldwide hunt for the exiled Spanish former king Juan Carlos continued, attention has turned at home to his estranged wife, Queen Sofia.

The Queen Emeritus, who is not involved in the financial scandal which led the ex-monarch's decision to leave Spain for an unknown destination, is currently staying at a palace in Majorca where she has been joined by King Felipe VI and his family.

In 2012, the then king scandalised Spaniards when he had to be flown back to Spain from Botswana after injuring himself during a secret elephant safari with Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. The ex-king and the London businesswoman maintained a relationship between 2005 and 2009.

Juan Carlos has also faced two paternity suits but refused to answer both claims.

Pilar Eyre, a journalist whose book The Loneliness of the Queen claimed Juan Carlos had a series of affairs, told the Telegraph: “I don't understand why the queen does not ask for divorce after all the humiliations she has suffered.”

The 81-year-old queen has consistently been one of the most popular members of the royal family, according to surveys, while her husband consistently ranks bottom in polls.

Queen Sofia is incredibly popular in Spain, ranking behind only her son, King Felipe in popularity polls - ERIC FEFERBERG  /AFP
Queen Sofia is incredibly popular in Spain, ranking behind only her son, King Felipe in popularity polls - ERIC FEFERBERG /AFP

A survey for La Razon newspaper published in July gave Queen Sofia a ranking of 6.3 out of ten, just behind King Felipe with 6.9, while Juan Carlos gained the lowest score with 4.9.

Meanwhile, Juan Carlos was reported to have told friends his dramatic exit from Spain was only temporary.

“I'm not on holiday and I'm not abandoning Spain. This is just a parenthesis,” he said in a message to friends, according to La Vanguardia newspaper.

After the Dominican Republic government denied media reports the former king travelled to the Caribbean state, speculation about Juan Carlos' whereabouts centred on Portugal where he grew up.

The financial scandal which led to Juan Carlos' exile began in 2018 with an investigation by Swiss prosecutor into Ms Sayn-Wittgenstein, the former king's lawyer and adviser, both based in Geneva.

The Swiss investigation, probing possible money laundering relating to a $100 million (£80million) "gift" to Juan Carlos from the King of Saudi Arabia in 2008, is in progress.

Juan Carlos is also being investigated for the first time by Spain's Supreme Court over his role in alleged bribes relating to a high-speed train deal in Saudi Arabia.

Watch: How Spain’s ex-king’s fell from grace