As the 28th anniversary of her death approaches, Lady Di has once again become the center of attention. This comes after an unexpected confession she made years ago about King Juan Carlos I has come to light.
Over these years, some of the alleged infidelities committed by the Spanish monarch during his marriage have continued to surface. Among them, his alleged and notorious affair with Bárbara Rey.
However, several decades ago, an unexpected rumor began to circulate strongly regarding the alleged closeness that developed between Lady Di and King Juan Carlos I. This mystery has now been solved, after some revealing statements from the Princess of Wales have come to light.
Lady Di spoke openly about what her relationship with King Juan Carlos I was like
Decades ago, the Spanish monarchs managed to restore their relationship with the British Crown. So much so that, for four years, Elizabeth II would send Charles and Lady Di to Palma to spend part of their summers at Marivent.
During those visits, it was common to see them enjoying boat trips, posing on the palace steps, and presenting an idyllic image to the media. It was a picture-perfect scene, although the reality was far from what happened behind palace doors.
As has emerged, Lady Di did not experience this with enthusiasm or joy. Years later, her biographer Andrew Morton documented this, after she confided in him about those summers in Mallorca.
Despite that difficult experience, the Princess of Wales returned to the archipelago on many other occasions. Over the years, numerous theories circulated about the relationship between King Juan Carlos I and Diana.
Although both posed in public with their families, offering an image of cordiality, many claimed there was more than just cordiality between them.
So much so that, while photographers captured summer images, King Juan Carlos I would flirt with Lady Di. "She flirted with Juan Carlos, but innocently, as any woman would. How could she not, when Charles was like a block of ice?" Lady Collin, an expert on the royal family, explained at the time.
At that time, the princess was going through a difficult period marked by Charles's lack of interest. In fact, the British heir even left her alone with their children at Marivent on more than one occasion. She shared these moments with the Spanish monarch, gradually strengthening their relationship.
"He's a womanizer... I know it's absurd, but I'm sure he likes me. He's flirted, even in front of the queen," she once told her bodyguard Ken Wharfe. "He's a groper," she added emphatically.
For a time, it was believed that there was only flirting between Juan Carlos and Lady Di. However, over the years, more testimonies and versions emerged that gave the story a different dimension.
In the book Juan Carlos I: the king of the 5,000 lovers, Amadeo Martínez Inglés detailed some accounts from the monarch himself about his conquests. In those conversations, he mentioned Diana among his summer romances. This situation would have caused some discomfort for both Sofía and Charles.
This speculation gained more traction with the book about the Windsors written by Kitty Kelly. The author claimed that the king of Spain sent $45,000 to Diana the same year she died. The money was supposedly to help her escape blackmail after being recorded in her gym without consent.
Nevertheless, both the emeritus king and the Princess of Wales had, at the same time, other romantic relationships. According to her bodyguard, Lady Di confessed in Mallorca that she was keeping a relationship with James Hewitt. Meanwhile, King Juan Carlos I spent his summers with a close group that included Marta Gayá, who remains a very relevant figure in his life today.