King Charles III (as Prince Charles) and Princess Diana, often referred to as “Lady Di,” came to Mallorca on holiday several times with their sons, Princes William and Harry, in the late 1980s. They stayed at the Marivent Palace as guests of the Spanish royal family.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were regular visitors to Mallorca, spending summers there in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990. The two families were close friends, and these August trips were unofficial visits. They were guests of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia at the Marivent Palace, the Spanish royal family’s summer home outside Palma.
During their stays, they were often photographed with the Spanish royals on the royal yacht, Fortuna. They also visited the small island of Cabrera and spent time at Ses Illetes beach. While in Mallorca, the couple’s interests began to diverge. Diana often enjoyed swimming and beach activities, while Charles would pursue his passion for watercolor painting in scenic areas like Valldemossa.
However, former Spanish king Juan Carlos seeks to clarify things that have been published about him, among which he admits are some errors. King Juan Carlos told Le Figaro: ‘I regret that the “spirit of the Transition” has been lost to the detriment of Spain’.
The imminent publication of the book Reconciliation in France, written by King Juan Carlos I, has led to the circulation of quotes from the book, as well as from interviews given in connection with this eagerly awaited new release, for example, to the daily newspaper Le Figaro.
According to Spanish media outlets including 20minutos today, the emeritus king, who wrote the book with the help of French journalist Laurence Debray, talks, for example, about Lady Di, with whom he allegedly became romantically involved during their encounters in Mallorca in the 1980s. This flirting allegedly took place even in front of Queen Sofía.
The author denies any problems with the publication of the emeritus king’s memoirs, although they will be released later than planned. The king denies having had an affair with the former wife of King Charles, describing her as ‘cold, taciturn and distant, except in the presence of the paparazzi’.
Since leaving Spain in August 2020, the former king has been living in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. During these five years, he has made a few occasional visits to Spain for sporting events and family gatherings, although always on a temporary basis and amid great media hype. His life in exile has been relatively low-key. The decision to settle in Abu Dhabi came after the judicial investigations into his fortune were shelved, which did not prosper for reasons such as the statute of limitations on possible crimes or the inviolability he enjoyed as head of state.