Following Corruption Inquiry, Former King Juan Carlos To Depart Spain

Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, announced his departure from the country on Monday after he became linked to a corruption investigation.

Juan Carlos, 82, confirmed the news in a letter sent to his son, King Felipe VI, to whom he abdicated the throne in 2014.

In the letter, Juan Carlos said that his departure was decided on due to “public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are generating.” He also stated that he would be making himself available for prosecutors to interview, though he did not reveal where he would be leaving to.

“Guided by the conviction to best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king, I inform you of my decision at this time to leave Spain,” Juan Carlos said in his letter. “A decision I make with deep emotion but with great serenity.”

Troubles began for Juan Carlos in June, when the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation into the ex-monarch’s connection to a high-speed railway contract from Saudi Arabia. Corruption allegations also led him to give up the throne in 2014, when he was linked to an elephant-hunting trip taken during Spain's financial crisis.

In March, Felipe announced that he would renounce any inheritance from his father and the royal palace confirmed that Juan Carlos would no longer receive an annual grant of 194,000 euros ($228,000).

Juan Carlos came to power in Spain in 1975, following the death of General Francisco Franco. The first ruling monarch in Spain since the monarchy was outlawed in 1931, Juan Carlos is largely credited with guiding Spain out of dictatorship and towards democracy.