#271: A Royal Family Brought to Its Knees

You probably already know this, the British monarchy isn’t the only royal family in Europe. There are dozens of them, and they’re all intertwined in ways that would make your head spin.

We’re not going to attempt to explain all of that here. Instead, we'll get Corinna and the King on your radar so you can take in the closest thing we’ll probably ever get to a 20th-century fairytale with a side of scandal and corruption.

PRX and Project Brazen come together to recount the unbelievably true story of a clandestine romance that brought the Spanish royal family to its knees.

King Juan Carlos I was enthroned in November 1975 after dictator Francisco Franco died. This transition of power restored faith for many Spaniards after decades of Franco’s political repression and support for the Axis nations during World War II.

But as it turns out, King Juan Carlos I had a dirty little secret.

A few years into his reign, he met a then-unknown German-Danish businesswoman named Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Sparks flew and the two embarked on a passionate affair that would last for years, all while Juan Carlos was married to Queen Sofia.

He also managed to get swept up in a corruption investigation and public scandal that stretched from Spain to Saudi Arabia and beyond. Corinna was at the center of it all and became the most hated person in Spain and King Juan Carlos I eventually abdicated the throne in 2014.

The affair was a well-kept secret… until Corinna started spilling the royal tea for all of us to hear in Corinna and the King.

Have a listen and share what you think.

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