We want to see this more often!
Nowadays he spends more time in the Emirates than in his home country Spain, but when King Juan Carlos is back in his own country, he almost always makes the headlines. His recent presence at a family party was no exception, but one special moment he shared with his eldest daughter in particular turned heads.
Exile
It is an open secret that former King Juan Carlos I is not a popular face at the Spanish court. As much as he was respected at the start of his time on the throne, the king has fallen hard with all his mistresses, decadent lifestyle and corruption scandals. Since son Felipe has been on the throne and the broom has swept through the Spanish court, JC is rarely spotted in Spain.
Birthday
However, this week there was such a rare moment: last Wednesday, Infanta Elena, the eldest daughter of Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, turned sixty. And that was of course celebrated with the entire family.
Of course Felipe and Letizia were there…
…Queen Sofía and Infanta Cristina arrived together…
…and Juan Carlos was warmly welcomed.
Sweet moment
Although it naturally attracted enough attention that the ‘scandal king’ appeared so publicly at a family event, there was one moment in particular that attracted a lot of attention. For example, several royalty watchers spotted that father and daughter shared a sweet moment. Because while they start their farewell with a nod and a kiss in accordance with the protocols, this quickly turns into a complicated secret handshake that goes smoothly for both of them. A tap on the forehead, a series of handshakes, and finally a set of taps on the chest: it is clear that Juan Carlos and Elena have been using this special greeting for a long time.
Les grands assemblements sont devenus
rares pour la #familleroyale espagnole. Quel ne fut
don’t wait until I’m happy#infantElena the retrouver, à
l’occasion de son soixantième #anniversaire ce 20
December 2023, everything is done !❤️✨ pic.twitter.com/yKrIkXT0xN— Point de Vue (@PointDeVueMag) December 21, 2023
It just goes to show that they may live miles apart, but the bond between father and daughter cannot easily be broken. In the meantime, we are certainly very curious: would Willem-Alexander and Amalia also have such a complicated handshake? Or perhaps the various royal houses share all kinds of secret handshakes? In any case, it would be hilarious as a change from the stately protocols around nods and bows.
Source: Royal Central | Image: NL Image
