Spain's Former King Faces Paternity Suit

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The Supreme Court in Spain has agreed to hear a paternity suit against the former king Juan Carlos in a further embarrassing episode for the royal family.

The 77-year-old was immune from criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits while king, but he lost that privilege after he abdicated in June in favour of his son, Felipe VI.

The paternity suit has been filed by a Belgian woman, Ingrid Jeanne Sartiau, who claims to be his daughter.

She says her mother had a relationship with the then crown prince in the 1960s.

Ms Sartiau claims the relationship lasted until 1966, the year she was born.

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Gallery: King Juan Carlos' Reign In Pictures

October 1975: Former Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, right, salutes beside his wife Carmen Polo (second right), the then Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife Princess Sofia as they listen to the national anthem during a ceremony at El Pardo Palace. The king has confirmed his wish to abdicate the throne to his son.

February 1993: King Juan Carlos goes down the slopes of the Candanchu ski resort.

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April 1993: Juan Carlos, accompanied by Queen Sofia, appears in front of the coffin of his father Don Juan de Borbon y Battenberg, lying in state at the royal palace April 2. Don Juan died on April 1 after a 13-year battle against throat cancer.

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June 1993: Pope John Paul II and Juan Carlos hold hands after making their speeches at Seville Airport after the Pope's arrival June 12. At right is Spanish Queen Sofia.

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August 1993: King Juan Carlos is thrown into a swimming pool after winning the King's Cup Yacht Race in Palma de Mallorca.

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She said she began to investigate after her mother one day saw Juan Carlos on TV and told her: "This man is your father."

Juan Carlos and his wife, former Queen Sofia, were married in 1962.

If there is sufficient evidence to back the woman's claim, Juan Carlos could be ordered to take a paternity test, a court spokesman, who declined to be named, told AP news agency.

The court dismissed a second paternity claim brought by a 58-year-old Spanish writer, Albert Sola Jimenez, saying it did not meet the legal requirements.

Mr Sola, an adopted child, has claimed for years that his birth mother had an affair with Juan Carlos before he married Sofia.

A spokesman for the royal palace said it would not comment on the matter, stating only: "We respect the independence of the judiciary."

The lawsuit is the latest scandal to hit the Spanish monarchy.

Juan Carlos, who has had health problems and walks with a cane after multiple hip operations, had hoped his abdication in favour of Felipe, 46, would restore the monarchy's popularity.

The former king, who reigned for almost 40 years, was once well regarded for steering the country from military dictatorship to democracy when he took over the throne in 1975, two days after the death of long-term dictator General Francisco Franco.

But his reputation plummeted after he took a secret elephant hunting trip to Botswana in 2012 at the height of Spain's financial crisis. He later apologised for going on the trip.

Last week, a Palma de Mallorca judge confirmed that Juan Carlos' youngest daughter, 49-year-old Cristina, is to be tried on charges of tax fraud.

She will be the first member of the Spanish royal family to stand trial since the monarchy was restored in 1975.

After the king's abdication, parliament rushed through a law giving him similar legal protection to that enjoyed by many high-ranking civil servants and politicians.

But it does not shield him completely, with the Supreme Court being allowed to make a final decision.

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Anter Jemput