King emeritus returns to Spain in one of the world’s most expensive private jet aircraft

The king emeritus returns to Spain today, as he did in May 2022, on a super expensive private jet flight. As SUR has learned, the former head of state flew to Vigo from London Stansted in a Bombardier BD-700-1A11 Global 5000 which costs some 9,000 euros an hour for a chartered flight.

The plane, which took off at 11.47am (Spanish mainland time), is registered in the United Arab Emirates and priced at 50 million euros, making it one of the world’s most expensive luxury aircraft.

The former head of state has been staying in London since Monday and according to official sources is scheduled to land at Peinador airport in Vigo.

Earlier, on Tuesday afternoon, Relevo reported the emeritus king was spotted at the entrance to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea and Real Madrid faced each other in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

On Monday night, the 85-year-old ex-monarch, was also seen with friends at Oswald's club in central London, in the Mayfair district. This is one of the most exclusive establishments in the British capital and is frequented by Prince William, Queen Camilla and Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie. Juan Carlos de Borbón left Oswald's at around 11pm escorted by two bodyguards.

It was rumoured that Juan Carlos I had a private lunch with his cousin, King Charles III, at his royal residence in central London. However, this was denied by the British Royal household.

From Vigo, the former monarch will travel today to Sanxenxo, where he will stay until Sunday 23 April, according to the schedule of the security deployment made by the Ministry of the Interior. Juan Carlos I is expected to take part in the regatta aboard the Bribón in the 6M category.

As was the case in the previous trip to Sanxenxo that the former head of state made between 19 and 23 May 2022, his agenda is completely private so the details of his stay are unknown, although it is believed that he will be staying at one of the homes of his friend Pedro Campos, former sailor and president of the Sanxenxo Nautical Club and owner of the Bribón.

According to arrangements made by the Ministry of the Interior Juan Carlos will limit his movements during his visit to Spain exclusively to the Galician coastal town and will not travel from there to other parts of the country, as he did in the spring of last year. Then he travelled to Madrid to meet his son, Felipe VI, at the Zarzuela Palace, in a tense meeting. That was the former king’s first return to Spain after he left for Abu Dhabi in August 2020.

On Tuesday, The Times newspaper published an 'unofficial' list of guests for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on 6 May, which includes both Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.