Juan Carlos I celebrates his 63rd wedding anniversary in Sanxenxo, away from Queen Sofía.

The Emeritus King Juan Carlos I landed on Monday afternoon at Peinador airport in Vigo. He arrives for a new stay in Sanxenxo (Pontevedra), where he is scheduled to participate in the nautical regattas aboard the Bribón between May 16 and 18.

With this trip, the Emeritus once again spends his wedding anniversary separated from Queen Sofía, as has been the case in recent years. On May 14 (the official day of their wedding in Athens in 1962), he will spend it in Galicia and she presumably in Madrid. This reflects the de facto separation that has marked their relationship for some time.

The last time the monarchs were seen together in public was on January 16, 2023, at the funeral of Constantine II of Greece, brother of Doña Sofía. The emeritus kings of Spain reunited at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens to bid farewell to the last king of the Hellenes.

The new visit of the Emeritus King to Spain also occurs a few days before an imminent legal commitment. This Friday, a conciliation act is scheduled in Santander with the former Cantabrian president Miguel Ángel Revilla. All within the framework of the lawsuit that Juan Carlos I filed against him for alleged violation of his honor due to "injurious" statements Revilla made in the media between 2022 and 2025.

Neither Don Juan Carlos nor Revilla are required to personally attend this judicial procedure, which could be solved through their legal representatives. With or without a court meeting, the personal anniversary of this May 14 highlights the family situation. The emeritus kings will not spend their 63rd wedding anniversary together.

The story of Juan Carlos de Borbón and Sofía of Greece dates back to their adolescence in the circles of post-war European royalty. Their first meeting occurred during the famous Agamemnon cruise, a trip organized in August 1954 by Queen Frederica of Greece —mother of the then Princess Sofía—. Frederica's intention was to bring together young people from European royal houses and reestablish ties after World War II.

Aboard that yacht, which set sail from Venice with more than 90 blue-blooded guests, Juan Carlos (16 years old) met Sofía (15). He also made friends with other young princes, like Simeon of Bulgaria. Frederica also saw these cruises as a propaganda opportunity for her country, and photos from the time depict the Greek queen surrounded by her illustrious guests. Among them, the one who would years later become her son-in-law.

That first contact between Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía was brief, but fate brought them together at several events years later. In June 1961, during the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent in London, the spark between the two young royals finally ignited.

After months of discreet meetings, Juan Carlos I proposed to Sofía on September 12, 1961. The scene, which both have recounted with fondness over the years, took place at the Beau Rivage hotel in Lausanne (Switzerland), the residence of Don Juan Carlos's paternal grandmother, the former Queen Victoria Eugenia.

Away from the usual formality, the then prince spontaneously handed over the engagement ring. "Sofi, catch it," he said as he tossed her a box with the ring. Sofía later humorously recalled how "he threw a box with the ring inside through the air," while Juan Carlos I explained that he had been in love with the princess since the first time he saw her and that she was "capable of wearing a royal crown with all dignity."

The 1962 wedding: a union between two worlds

The desired wedding took place in Athens on May 14, 1962. The bride's mother, Queen Frederica, was dedicated to organizing a fairy-tale wedding for her eldest daughter. There was glamour and tradition: Princess Sofía, 23 years old, wore a majestic silver-white dress and her family's historic Prussian tiara; Juan Carlos, 24, wore his Spanish Army lieutenant uniform.

They celebrated three ceremonies: Catholic, Orthodox, and civil. While Greece proudly celebrated that alliance, in Francoist Spain the event was handled discreetly. Franco imposed censorship on the wedding: the press avoided giving it extensive coverage, and TVE only broadcast images in a late-night documentary. Of course, they tried to eliminate the figure of the groom's father —Don Juan de Borbón— from the photos.

The first infidelity discovered by Sofía

The early years of Juan Carlos de Borbón and Sofía of Greece as princes were under Franco's strict watch. In public, they projected an image of a united family, but in private, not everything was idyllic. After ascending to the throne in November 1975, just a few weeks later, the first major marital crisis erupted. In January 1976, Queen Sofía discovered the first known infidelity of Juan Carlos I. It happened during a hunt at the La Encomienda de Mudela estate in Ciudad Real, where the new monarch had gone without his wife.

Queen Sofía discovered this betrayal when she arrived with her children at the estate and was denied entry. "It's better if you don't go in, ma'am," she was reportedly told. The reason: Don Juan Carlos was there accompanied by a Spanish actress.

Upon learning of the situation, Queen Sofía reacted by suddenly leaving Spain with her children. She took a plane and traveled to India, where her mother, Queen Frederica, resided.

Doña Sofía's intention, hurt and furious, seemed to be not to return, which set off alarms in the government. The then Foreign Minister, José María de Areilza, along with President Carlos Arias Navarro, acted urgently. Contact was made with Queen Frederica, who finally managed to convince her daughter to return to Spain.

The return of the queen consort was agreed upon with certain conditions. On one hand, Juan Carlos I would have to be more discreet; on the other, Doña Sofía's family was accommodated in Zarzuela, living in conditions similar to the Spanish royal family.

Scandals and institutional silence

Despite the truce, the marital estrangement deepened. They fulfilled their institutional duties for decades, but their private lives took separate paths. The monarch's infidelities became an open secret.

In the following decades, Don Juan Carlos maintained relationships with various women, both from the aristocracy and the entertainment world.Bárbara Rey, with whom he had a relationship for more than a decade, is attributed with recordings where the king openly talks about his empty marital life and his parallel affairs. These recordings have resurfaced recently, once again bringing to light the monarch's active romantic life.

Another key figure is the decorator Marta Gayà, considered by many as the emeritus's great love. Juan Carlos alternated his obligations with getaways with Gayà in Mallorca. His relationship with the German actress Nadiuska is also known, who declared that she felt watched by secret services.

The relationship with Corinna Larsen has undoubtedly been the most media-covered and controversial. A German businesswoman, friend, and collaborator in the monarch's financial dealings, she was the one who exposed the well-known trip to Botswana in 2012, where the king suffered a fall while hunting elephants. As a result of that relationship, millionaire transfers and alleged cases of commissionism were revealed.

Over the years, the emeritus's romantic life became a matter of state. Although many in his circle knew about it, it was never officially acknowledged. Queen Sofía, meanwhile, found solace in her children, her institutional work, and her faith. She never publicly showed a reaction of rejection toward her husband. Discretion and a sense of duty marked her role as consort until the end.

A marriage of appearances: funerals and reunions

In recent years, the few times Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía have coincided have been at family events or funerals. In September 2022, they both attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London. Although they shared space in Westminster Abbey, there was no visible interaction.

Months later, in January 2023, they reunited at the funeral of King Constantine II in Athens, brother of Doña Sofía. They were seen closer, although without evident displays of affection. It was a particularly hard moment for Sofía, who lost her only brother. It was also difficult for Don Juan Carlos, who maintained a close relationship with his brother-in-law.

These appearances have been the only occasions when the former kings have been seen together in public since Juan Carlos I's departure to Abu Dhabi in 2020. In the emeritus's private visits to Sanxenxo, like the one taking place these days, Doña Sofía has never accompanied him. While Felipe VI's father stays at friends' houses and participates in regattas, the emeritus queen remains in Zarzuela, focused on her charitable commitments and supporting her grandchildren.

Now, on their 63rd wedding anniversary, Juan Carlos I and Doña Sofía once again live this date from a distance. Physically and emotionally separated, but still united by the institutional bond.