The former king of Spain has decided to leave his native land amid turmoil arising from alleged benefits he received as part of a high-speed rail contract deal negotiated with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2014.
In a letter addressed to his son Felipe published by the royal house on Monday, former Spanish King Juan Carlos announced he would retreat into exile after the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation into the deal.
“Guided by the conviction to best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king, I inform you of my decision at this time to leave Spain,” read part of the letter sent. “A decision I make with deep emotion but with great serenity.”
Spanish private firms were awarded more than $6 billion for the railway deal linking Mecca and Medina. Work on the high-speed rail connecting the two major cities of the Saudi empire began in 2008 and was finished on Sept. 25, 2018.
In March, the former king’s son King Felipe VI renounced his personal inheritance after it was revealed he was a beneficiary of a trust set up in an offshore fund established by his father in 2008. Part of that inheritance is believed to be from a $100 million “donation” given in 2008 by the king of Saudi Arabia, and authorities in Switzerland are investigating the bank accounts tied to the money.
King Emeritus Juan Carlos, who abdicated his throne in 2014 amid fallout from an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana while Spain grappled with economic hardship, defended himself in the letter, saying he only ever tried to do what was best for his country.
“This is a very emotional decision, but one I take with great serenity,” he wrote. “I have been king of Spain for almost 40 years and throughout them all I have always wanted what is best for Spain and the crown.”
