Madrid, 3 August (RHC) The King Emeritus of Spain, Juan Carlos I, announced to his son and current monarch, Felipe VI, his decision to settle elsewhere outside the country, because of the repercussions of the criminal investigations being carried out against him.

In a letter published Monday on the royal family's website, Juan Carlos I explained to his son his "considered decision" to move to live outside of Spain given the public repercussions of "certain past events" in his private life.

Through a statement, the Palacio de la Zarzuela reported that Felipe VI, for his part, conveyed to his father his "sincere respect and appreciation" for this decision.

Juan Carlos I assured that he had taken the decision with serenity, to facilitate the exercise of the functions of the current monarch, and recalled that in the almost forty years that he served as king, he always wanted the best for Spain and the Crown.

Juan Carlos I's decision comes after information about the alleged private business of the King Emeritus, who is being investigated by Spain's Supreme Court for allegedly having charged commissions for intervening in the contract for the fast train to Mecca.