Return of the King: Spain's Juan Carlos makes 'unwanted' visit home from exile

Spain's ageing king-in-exile dined with friends at one of London's most exclusive private clubs this week, and watched Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0. 

There was, however, no lunch with King Charles III during a whirlwind visit to the British capital for Juan Carlos -- although it was rumoured the distant cousins might meet, since the former Spanish monarch won't be attending Charles and Camilla's coronation in May. 

Now, a less-than-warm welcome awaits Juan Carlos in his homeland, where he arrived Wednesday for only his second visit, after three years of self-imposed exile in the Middle East. 

His family -- King Felipe and Queen Letizia -- have made it clear they're not amused with the trip, and there's no meeting scheduled between father and son in the diary at the Zarzuela Palace either: something which has been interpreted as a clear sign of an ongoing rupture between the two. 

The beginning of the end for King Juan Carlos came in 2008, when pictures of him standing in front of dead elephants on a hunting holiday in Botswana were published by the Spanish press. 

This trip was the first blow to his reputation, with the expensive vacation taking place during a deep financial crisis. 

He abdicated in 2014 after almost 40 years on the throne, and handed power to his son Felipe.

Six years later, Felipe took Juan Carlos' annual allowance and renounced his own personal inheritance after Spain’s Supreme Court launched an investigation into Juan Carlos’ alleged involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia.

At the time the Royal Family said they knew nothing about Juan Carlos’ activities. Spanish prosecutors ended up closing all corruption investigations due to the lack of evidence.

When he fled Spain for Abu Dhabi in