PalmKing of Majorca is just one of the titles on an endless list held by Spanish sovereigns. But, most likely, it was the 'emeritus' Juan Carlos I who spent the most time in the Balearic Islands throughout history: more than the mythologized 'private' kings –James II, Sancho I, and James III– who were almost never there, preferring to remain at the court in Perpignan and in their mainland possessions. We recall this connection with the archipelago on the 50th anniversary of his proclamation as Franco's successor on November 22, 1975.
Joan Carles de Borbó Juanito For the family, it was for the first time in Mallorca in 1953, alongside his younger brother, Alfonso—who would die three years later from a gunshot wound accidentally inflicted by the future king. He was fifteen years old. He had been born in 1938 in exile, in Rome. His father, Juan de Borbón, was the heir of Alfonso XIII, 'Juan III' to his supporters. The latter, residing in Portugal, and the dictator Franco, had agreed that the boys would be educated in Spain. Although the regime planned for the Caudillo's successor to be "with the title of king," it was very clear that the dictator did not have 'Don' Joan, nicknamed 'Joan III of the Left,' in mind, due to his supposed democratic leanings.
It was on August 15th when Juan Carlos and Alfonso arrived at the Son Bonet airfield and were received by the then civil governor, Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel. It was by pure chance: he had gone to the airfield to pick up his brother, who was arriving at the same time. Curiously, it would be that same Valcárcel who, twenty-two years later, now as president of the Francoist Cortes, would swear in the new monarch.
Those were long holidays, lasting until the following September 25th. The boys stayed in Valldemossa, at the summer residence of the Count of Fontanar, a loyal supporter of 'Don' Joan. But, like good tourists, they undertook an extensive tour of the island: the See of Mallorca, Bellver, the Estudi General Lul·lià, Santa Eulàlia, Llucalcari, Formentor, Puig Major, Lluc, Sóller, Andratx, Cabrera, and S'Avall, where they were guests of its owners: the March family. The good relationship with this family was nothing new: the patriarch, in VergaHe had already given Juan de Borbón a sailboat, the Saltillo, for his journeys.
The 1974 pact in Palma with the father
Juan Carlos—as has been seen since, over decades and up to the present day—inherited his father's love of the sea. Even during that first stay, he discovered the pleasures of sailing, participating in a regatta in Sóller. It seems the organizer addressed him and his brother without using the proper titles, and a tutor had to correct him. Who would think of treating children like children!
The presence of the sea played a powerful role in Juan Carlos's return to Mallorca. He did so in 1958, aboard a Navy ship. And he would continue to do so throughout the 1960s, sailing. From 1962 onward, he was accompanied by his wife, Queen Sofía of Greece. It was clear that the future king had become deeply attached to the Islands. He explained to the writer Baltasar Porcel why: "I like the Balearic Islands because you can go by boat to many places and return via different routes, which is impossible on a long peninsular coastline. Besides, I love the Mallorcan climate and landscape."
Meanwhile, the political circumstances changed. Franco had finally made up his mind—there were other candidates—and, in 1969, the young Juan Carlos was designated as his successor and future king. However, this would not be a restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, but rather the establishment of a Francoist monarchy. A new title was even created for the heir, Prince of Spain, instead of the long-standing one, Prince of Asturias.
This, of course, did not sit well with 'Don' Joan. And it was precisely in Palma, in June 1974, that father and son had a 'man-to-man' conversation. Who knows what Juan Carlos explained to him—perhaps his future plans?—but the fact is that Juan de Borbón changed his attitude and refused to support a manifesto prepared by the Democratic Junta, a union of clandestine opposition forces. Juan Carlos had gotten his way.
So many visits by the young Bourbon to Mallorca—now with his family: his wife, two daughters, Elena and Cristina, and a son, Felipe, the current monarch—led the Francoist hierarchy to think that perhaps it would be a good idea to provide them—at public expense, of course—with a residence, instead of the hotels where they were staying. Thus, the purpose of Marivent Palace, which the owner's widow had bequeathed as a museum and public park, was changed to serve its new purpose.
The then-president of the Provincial Council, Josep Alcover, handed over the palace to Juan Carlos, with an included request: "That you accept this residence so that you and your family, on all occasions, times, and moments that please you, may enjoy, surrounded by our deep respect and ardent affection, a well-deserved and necessary rest, established and consolidated by our leader, who we have no doubt will preserve and increase it for us in the future."
The great promoter of tourism?
For some strange reason, since then the islanders not only religiously pay the expenses of this royal summer residence—more than a million euros annually—but they must also be grateful for such a high honor. Practically until his abdication in 2014, the adulation of Juan Carlos and his family was endless: honorary mayor of Palma and Llucmajor, the first recipient of the Gold Medal of the Autonomous Community when it was established in 1983... When the monarch needed a new yacht FortuneIt was a gift from a group of Mallorcan businessmen, with a contribution from the regional government, for a total value of eighteen million euros.
Now then, how would they say to Life of BrianWhat has Juan Carlos done for us to deserve such generosity? The answer is simple and has been repeated ad nauseam: he has been the great promoter of tourism, the goose that laid the golden eggs. Perhaps that's not quite the case. Between 1973, the first summer holiday at Marivent, and 1974, the number of visitors didn't increase, but rather decreased: from more than three and a half million to just over three million. When Juan Carlos hadn't even set foot on the island, tourists had already increased by 30% from 1950 to 1951. And now, without him, tourism has continued to grow: a historic record of 18.7 million in 2024, ten years after his abdication.
The other islands were also destinations for official visits by the then princes and later kings, as was the Part Forana (the rural areas of Ibiza). On November 29, 1973, in Menorca. The following day, in Ibiza. In August 1978, in Llucmajor. The same month in 1981, in Andratx, where they met for lunch at the Porcel family's house.
In September 1975, about to be proclaimed king—it would be on November 22nd, 50 years ago—the then 'Prince of Spain' invited a group of 'notables' to dinner at Marivent Palace, among them the philologist and prominent defender of the Catalan language, Francesc de Borja, and Jeroni Albertí, who would become the president of the Balearic Islands' pre-autonomy government when democracy arrived. It was clear that a change of fortune was in the air.
Juan Carlos used to say of himself that in Mallorca they called him 'Avar' (meaning 'greedy' or 'stingy'), because he always came "to haggle"—a rather poor pun, it must be admitted. What is certain is that the stays of Juan Carlos I and his family, lasting a few weeks, recouped the cost of Marivent more effectively than now, when Felipe VI and his family only spend a few days in Mallorca. Of course, not everyone has been thrilled with this transfer of public property to the Bourbons: for several years now, the Recuperem Marivent Platform has held regular demonstrations at the palace gates, demanding its return to the people of Mallorca. Perhaps, now that it is used so little, it's time to reconsider...
Juan Carlos and the press: a relationship with ups and downs
The local and state media have, it must be said, contributed for decades to the tons of praise heaped upon Juan Carlos and his family during their Mallorcan summers. The expression "like anyone else," referring to the king, the queen, or any of their children, has been particularly successful and is still in use. Can anyone truly believe that when Juan Carlos went to a restaurant, Sofía went shopping in Palma, and Elena, Cristina, and Felipe went to the Clan nightclub, it was the same as if they were just anyone else?
Juan Carlos's audiences at Marivent followed a systematic protocol, at least as far as the press was concerned. Journalists and their belongings were checked by trained dogs, even though it was practically always the same dogs. The tight—and effective—security surrounding him detected an assassination attempt in Mallorca by ETA in 1995, and another attempt in 2004.
The other focal point of that holiday in Mallorca was the Palma Yacht Club, the headquarters for the Copa del Rey sailing regatta. Juan Carlos was thrown into the pool by his teammates to celebrate a victory for Bribón, the boat he was racing on. The rest of the images could have been the same year after year: no one would have noticed.
Regarding Juan Carlos's strictly private life on the island—what happens in Mallorca stays in Mallorca—an implicit pact of silence was maintained. It wasn't until 1992 that the name of Marta Gayá, the Mallorcan woman with whom he had a long love affair, came to light in the media.
The monarch's dealings with the press weren't always so harmonious. Besides the reporters from various media outlets, there were the paparazzi, eager to capture, shall we say, unconventional images to later offer to the highest bidder. When photographs of him naked on the deck of the Fortuna were published in 1995, his anger was colossal, and he warned a group of reporters at the yacht club: "If you want war, you'll get it." Although he later reconsidered and invited them for drinks. During a visit by Princess Diana, he spotted photographers and steered the Fortuna directly toward them... only to change course a few meters away. A rather tasteless joke.
Information prepared from the texts of Andreu Manresa and Rafael Caballero, Màrius Carol, Antoni Sastre Albertí and Sebastià Serra and the two collective volumes The Kings of Majorca.
