Spain's former king Juan Carlos to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral

Spain's former king Juan Carlos will pause his self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

Juan Carlos and his wife have communicated their intention to accept the British Foreign Office invitation to attend the funeral on Sept. 19, the Spanish Royal House said on Monday.

The former monarch left Spain for Abu Dhabi in August 2020 after prosecutors started looking into allegations of fraud in Spain and Switzerland. The investigations were later dropped due to insufficient evidence and the statute of limitations. Juan Carlos has declined to comment on the various allegations of wrongdoing.

Juan Carlos could also face trial in Britain in a harassment case brought against him by his former lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. He has strongly denied the allegations.

Once revered for his role in the country's transition to democracy, the popularity of the former king fell drastically after a series of scandals. He abdicated in 2014 and now keeps his permanent residence in the Gulf state.