KING TOUCHES DOWN FOR HIS SUMMER HOLIDAYS

KING Juan Carlos of Spain arrived in Palma last night at the start of the Spanish royals' annual summer holiday at Marivent Palace on the outskirts of the capital and will be joined by Queen Sofia today. The King and Queen have just returned from a week-long official visit to South America, but the King arrived in Palma alone looking extremely happy to have touched down at the Son San Joan military base where a delegation of local politicans, including Chief Minister Francesc Antich and Balearic military commanders greeted him. The royals will spend most of the summer holidays in Majorca, over the past few years any foreign official engagements for the King have been handed on to the heir to the throne Prince Felipe. The King is expected to take part in the Copa del Rey sailing regatta at the end of the month, so too is Prince Felipe, but the two Infantas, the Princesses Elena and Cristina are not expected to race this year as they are both expecting their second children. However, the Princesses will probably be joined by friends and relations from other European royal families, in particular the Greek, as the Queen's brother is King Constantine of Greece who visits every year. But it is not all relaxation for the King; he will have at least two meetings with Prime Minister Aznar in Majorca in order to keep abreast of the latest domestic and international developments