Spain’s King Juan Carlos Has Special Friendship with German Princess?

Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

The Spanish press is all agog with the latest news about King Juan Carlos and, this week, it doesn’t involve him killing an elephant in Africa. Instead, it’s all about King Juan Carlos’ “special friendship” with a German princess, 46-year-old Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein.

Both Italian and Spanish newspapers are reporting Juan Carlos has known the princess for at least six years, and some are referring to her as “the King’s girlfriend”.

Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein lives in Madrid with her children after separating from her husband several years ago. She apparently has accompanied the King to parties and other social events, with some papers even reporting that Juan Carlos has told his wife and children about his ‘special relationship’.

This story comes on the heels of several months of negative press for the Spanish royal family.

The King’s son-in-law, the Duke of Palma,  is currently in the middle of being tried on criminal charges for taking millions of euros from a Spanish non-profit he was working for, and last week the King himself was all over the Spanish press after he broke his hip and was discovered to be on an expensive elephant hunting trip in Africa.