Well, that’s awkward.
On Christmas Day, Spain’s King Felipe took a swipe at his father, former King Juan Carlos, in his holiday message to the nation.
In the televised address, Felipe pointed out that “ethics is above family ties” and added citizens demand “principles that apply to everyone, without exception, and that are above all other considerations, including personal or family (ties).”
Felipe’s words were taken as a blow to Juan Carlos, who brought it to Dubai in August after becoming embroiled in a financial scandal.
The swift came just a month after Spanish prosecutors began investigating whether he received millions in bribes from Saudi Arabia during the construction of a high-speed rail line 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, then left $ 65 million to former companion Corinna Larsen. Investigators viewed the alleged wire transfer as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities. Larsen, a Danish-German businesswoman, called the money “a gift.”
Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 after public outcry over an elephant-hunting trip to Botswana he took during a deep national financial crisis – and revelations he cheated on his wife, Queen Sophia, who reportedly slept with more than 5,000 other women.