The disgraced former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, aged 87 and now living in exile, is initiating legal proceedings for defamation against his former lover, Corinna Larsen, 61 – also known as Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein – in a bid to secure ‘substantial compensation’, according to Spanish media reports.
Juan Carlos also plans to legally challenge Larsen’s assertion that the €65 million payment he transferred to her account from Saudi Arabia was a personal ‘gift’. He contends that the funds were merely entrusted to her for safekeeping and that she refused to return the money when requested.
This latest legal move, reportedly filed in a Swiss court according to Spanish media reports, marks another chapter in the protracted dispute between the ex-couple.
After abdicating the throne in 2014 in favour of his son, King Felipe VI, amid mounting corruption scandals, Juan Carlos is now seeking to rehabilitate his public image, particularly with the 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne approaching in November.
‘In addition to restoring his honour, he also intends to claim substantial compensation from Larsen,’ stated La Vanguardia, citing ‘direct sources with the emeritus king’. The article said that Juan Carlos has retained a London-based legal team to represent him in the Swiss judiciary.
Additionally, Juan Carlos is reportedly preparing a lawsuit against his former attorney, Dante Canonica, who previously oversaw a fund that received so-called ‘donations’ intended for the former monarch. Canonica, along with lawyer Arturo Fasana and Larsen, had been investigated by the Swiss public prosecutor for suspected money laundering – an inquiry that has since been closed.
According to Spain’s El Mundo, Juan Carlos’s complaints against both Larsen and Canonica revolve around alleged fraud.
The romantic relationship between Juan Carlos and Larsen lasted from 2004 to 2012 and ended definitively when Larsen sued him in the UK in 2022. In that suit, she sought €146 million and accused the former king of orchestrating harassment, surveillance, and intimidation campaigns against her.
She maintains that Juan Carlos retaliated after she refused to return the €65 million, which she continues to claim was a gift. In October 2023, British courts ruled that Juan Carlos could not be tried in the UK over these allegations. ALSO READ: UK judge throws out harassment case against Spain’s disgraced former king.
Larsen has consistently made accusations against the former king concerning his financial dealings and private conduct, always insisting that the money was given as a gesture of appreciation and as compensation for their years together. ALSO READ: Corinna claims in podcast that Juan Carlos would ‘return home with bags full of cash’.
Public perception of Juan Carlos began to unravel in 2012 when it was revealed that he had embarked on an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana with Larsen, at a time when Spain was grappling with severe economic hardship. ALSO READ: Spain’s former king, his mistress, and the $100m Swiss bank account.
The scandal came to light after Juan Carlos was flown back to Madrid for urgent hip surgery. The Spanish media, breaking long-held silence on his personal life, published photos of Larsen, triggering widespread criticism.
The €65 million transaction became central to corruption and money laundering probes in both Switzerland and Spain, though all such investigations have since been abandoned. ALSO READ: Spain’s prosecutors drop investigations into finances of former king Juan Carlos.
In 2020, Juan Carlos was stripped of his €200,000 yearly state allowance as emeritus king after reports emerged of undisclosed offshore accounts. Under pressure from on-going investigations, he left Spain and took up residence in Abu Dhabi. ALSO READ: Royal household finally confirms former king’s whereabouts.
Although he has since settled his tax liabilities, a return to permanent residence in Spain remains blocked, both by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and, reportedly, by King Felipe himself, who is focused on rehabilitating the monarchy’s image in a nation with deep republican sentiments. ALSO READ: ‘There’s no room for impunity,’ says Pedro Sánchez – calling news of former king Juan Carlos I as ‘disturbing’.
More recently, Juan Carlos has also filed a defamation lawsuit against Miguel Ángel Revilla, the former president of the Cantabria region, who has openly accused the ex-king of corruption.
Many commentators in Spain have expressed surprise at Juan Carlos’s decision to pursue legal action to clear his name, noting that those closest to him had advised against it. La Vanguardia reported, ‘The reasons given by the king’s father are based on his conviction that his historical legacy derived from the successes of his reign has been overshadowed by the accusations and statements made against him.’
Juan Carlos seeks to be remembered for helping guide Spain’s return to democracy following the death of dictator Franco in 1975, and for playing a critical role in defusing a military coup attempt in 1981.
The report also noted: ‘He also complains to his close circle that the Zarzuela [royal palace] has done nothing to defend him.’
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ALSO READ: Retired Spanish judges claim ex-king Juan Carlos should ‘face trial for alleged tax crimes’.
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