A revelation that two sisters of Spain’s King Felipe VI were vaccinated during a trip to Abu Dhabi last month has sparked a political backlash.
Media reports revealed Princess Elena, 57, and Princess Cristina, 55, had got the jab whilst visiting their father.
The former King, Juan Carlos, left the country in 2020 amid mounting scandals.
Both princesses, who do not yet qualify to get a vaccine under Spain’s roll-out, defended and explained their decision on Wednesday.
“My sister and I went to visit my father and in order to be issued with a medical certificate which will allow us to continue to visit him regularly, we were offered the chance to get vaccinated, which we accepted,” they said in a statement to El Mundo on Wednesday.
“Had it not been for these circumstances, we would have waited for our turn to get vaccinated to come around in Spain,” they added.
Juan Carlos has been living in self-exile in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since last August.
Although he denied wrongdoing regarding mounting corruption allegations, his departure heightened debate and scrutiny about the royal family.
