euMADRID – The rebellious nephew of the Spanish king has been discredited this week – and not for the first time. He is said to have been involved in a major brawl in front of the Vandido club in the Salamanca neighbourhood of Madrid in the early morning of December 25.
This was reported by the newspaper El Confidencial, which relies on various witness statements and sources from the police. The brawl is said to have taken place around 6.00 am. One of the witnesses was a local resident who had to leave early for the airport. Another witness was walking his dog. Both saw a large group of youths who seemed quite tipsy fighting in Calle Goya. Also, there was shouting, cursing and moving on the pavement, between the cars and even on the street.
When the police arrived on the scene after several reports, 24-year-old Felipe Juan Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón had already left. The fourth in line to the Spanish throne is said to have boarded a taxi to accompany a friend to the hospital. El Confidencial writes that that friend was treated for a one-inch cut to his forearm.
The disco disclaims any involvement in the brawl. The club was already closed when the fight started. If it had still been open, the doormen would have intervened to guarantee the safety of visitors at the entrance. Moreover, the club says it is afraid of image damage.
Froilan denies
The nephew of the Spanish king and son of his older sister Infanta Elena denies that he was involved in the brawl. “I was at the door of the disco when something happened and now they want to involve me as if I had something to do with an argument […] I, if anything, am a victim. And not even that. I’m witnessing what happened.” This according to Cadena SER is what Froilán said in a published statement.
Previous controversy surrrounding the king’s nephew
It is not the first time that Felipe VI’s nephew has come under fire for his behaviour. During the pandemic, he made headlines for violating health regulations, being photographed without wearing a mask or keeping a safe distance.
At shooting in Marbella
Earlier this year, in July, several Spanish media reported that Froilán was present at the Opium club in Marbella when a shooting took place there. However the shooter turned out to be a Dutchman and his shots injured four people present. The perpetrator himself was also seriously injured by knife wounds to his head and body.
Skirmishes in nightlife
In 2017, he also made headlines for starring in a confrontation outside a nightclub, exchanging threatening shoves and warnings with other youths. El Confidencial writes about other incidents in which Froilán is said to have participated. One was in a bar in Madrid’s Las Vistillas. There he got into a fight because he had jumped the queue for the toilet.
Road accident with sister
What also came out this week was that Froilán had a traffic accident a few days before the latest brawl. This happened late at night in a car driven by his sister Victoria Federica. The car they were driving allegedly hit and damaged several parked cars.
The accident of Victoria Federica and Froilán was attempted to by hushed up. After the accident, several police officers arrived at the scene and asked for documentation to identify them. According to various newspapers, security officials from the royal palace of Zarzuela appeared on the scene a few minutes later. As a result, the accident did not reach the press immediately.
However, Froilán denies the car accident and the toilet queue incident. “There’s not an ounce of truth in it. First, the line at the men’s room: “They beat me and knocked me out. And another, that I had an accident with my sister in the car. I don’t know where these hoaxes come from. I would like to know where these things come from,” he concluded.
Shotgun accident
In 2014, Froilán made his first headlines for self-harming with a shotgun in Spain and abroad. The accident – he shot himself in the foot – happened when the then thirteen-year-old boy was “more or less hunting” with his father in Soria, his mother, Infanta Helena, told the press at the time.
Rebel
Furthermore, the nephew of the Spanish king is known in Spain as the ‘rebel’ of the royal family. He would always get bad grades, be sent to expensive international boarding schools and nevertheless be continuously involved in scandals and have relationships with influencers. According to ABC, he is currently studying Business Administration at the IE Business School.
