Archive photograph (06/12/2018), of former king Juan Carlos, with Queen Emeritus Sofia, in the Chamber of Deputies, during the 40th anniversary of the Constitution. | EFE

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... was former king, Juan Carlos. At a time of crisis when his son would be delivering a message of hope, resilience and unity to the nation, Juan Carlos was at the centre of another scandal. And it was one with juicy ingredients: offshore accounts; a mega contract to build a Saudi high-speed train; the prosecution service interested in potential backhanders and corrupt behaviour by Spanish businesspeople; the relationship between the ex-king and his friend, Corinna Larsen. It had it all, and King Felipe could have done with it like a hole in the head. For the people, however, it did possibly offer them a diversion to take their minds off other things.