Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbon
Call of freedom? King Felipe’s nephew has no plans to return to Spain
Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbon
© Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images
King Felipe’s nephew Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón has repeatedly made headlines in recent years. The 25-year-old now lives in Abu Dhabi – and has no plans to return to his home country of Spain.
However, all of that is behind him now. Felipe de Marichalar has now settled in Abu Dhabi, following the example of his grandfather Juan Carlos, 86. It seems like the royal is doing well.
Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón is now “more mature”
Felipe Juan is said to have personally made the decision to leave Spain at the beginning of 2023, as “Dana Press” reported. Because in his homeland he was in the spotlight and was often heavily criticized for his lifestyle. For him, Abu Dhabi meant the opportunity to enjoy anonymity. Initially, the Spanish media wrote that he would live in a luxury apartment of 200 square meters, paid for by his grandfather. It was said that he would work for an oil company and earn a lot. However, the Spanish newspaper “Vanitatis” reported a little later that this was not the truth.
His mother, Infanta Elena, 60, revealed to the publication in March 2023 that her son had adapted very well to his new life in the United Arab Emirates. Sources now reveal to “Vanitatis” that “Felipe’s apartment is completely normal and he pays for it himself.” He works for a company and was involved as an employee in organizing the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which took place in Dubai from November 30th to December 12th, 2023. His work followed his “Business Administration and Management” studies, which he completed at the College for International Studies in Madrid.
A return to Spain currently seems impossible. Felipe seems to have settled in in his adopted hometown. He has “become more mature,” sources close to him tell “Vanitatis” these days. He plans to take a postgraduate course in business administration in order to specialize further and get better chances of getting a well-paid job.
Postgraduate studies and project exploration: King’s nephew sees future in Abu Dhabi
He “has changed,” confirm the insiders from his circle of friends. He became aware that he could give much more than he previously assumed, that he was valuable and useful.
Felipe has obviously gained more self-confidence. His work during the UN climate conference apparently gave him ideas for shaping his future. There he worked in the area of foreign relations, helped with logistics and accompanied delegations. His royal background apparently gave him the perfect tools for this task. Felipe’s language skills, extremely privileged education, excellent manners and knowledge of protocol made an impression.
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Since then, the royal offspring has apparently developed a plan to settle in Abu Dhabi for a longer period of time. He is currently exploring various projects that he could get involved with.
King Felipe’s nephew spends time with grandfather Juan Carlos
Another argument for his future plans in the Emirates is his grandfather. Felipe spends as often as possible time with ex-King Juan Carlos, who has been living in exile since 2020. “He is very happy and usually has lunch with Don Juan Carlos whenever his schedule allows,” an unnamed source told Vanitatis last year. From his circle of friends you can now hear: “They have always had a very special relationship with each other, which has now intensified. They have an incredible relationship with each other, spend many days together, make plans, and leaving him alone would hurt him .” It seems that the supposedly scandalous prince has found his soul’s place. “He is happy, calm, he has many friends, he lacks nothing and his work fills him up.”
Sources used: elconfidencial.com, Dana Press, vanitatis.elconfidencial.com