Overview
- Juan Carlos traveled from Abu Dhabi on a private Vistajet flight, arrived shortly after 1 p.m., and was set to leave Madrid by early evening.
- La Zarzuela designated the gathering as private with no official photographs, reinforcing that the encounter carried no institutional implications.
- The lunch brought together the immediate royal family and roughly 60 relatives, with invitations extended to members of the Greek royal family.
- The choice of the Palacio del Pardo over the Zarzuela was widely read as a neutral venue selected to underscore the careful management of the meeting.
- The reunion followed the publication of Juan Carlos’s memoirs criticizing Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, while the lunch also celebrated Queen Sofía’s recent Order of the Golden Fleece.