Well, that’s awkward.
On Christmas Day, Spanish King Felipe slipped his father, former King Juan Carlos, into his holiday message to the nation.
In the televised speech, Felipe noted that “ethics is above family ties” and added that citizens demand “principles that apply to everyone, without exception, and that are above any other consideration, including the personal or family (links) “.
Felipe’s words were taken as a slap in the face to Juan Carlos, who attacked him in Dubai in August after being embroiled in a financial scandal.
The rush came just a month after Spanish prosecutors began investigating whether it received millions of withdrawals from Saudi Arabia during the construction of a high-speed railway there by a Spanish consortium.
Juan Carlos was also the subject of a Swiss investigation into whether he received $ 100 million from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and then transferred $ 65 million to former comrade Corinna Larsen. Investigators viewed the alleged transfer as a possible attempt to hide the authorities’ cash. Larsen, a Danish-German businesswoman, called the money a “gift.”
Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 after a public outcry over an elephant hunting trip to Botswana he made during a deep national financial crisis and revelations that deceived his wife, Queen Sofia, allegedly sleeping with more than 5,000 more women.