King Juan Carlos recovers from triple heart bypass

The 81-year-old Rex Emeritus was admitted yesterday (Saturday, August 24) for the planned surgery, which had been booked in mid-June following his last routine full health check.

His son King Felipe VI – whom he abdicated in favour of in June 2014 – visited his father in hospital today (Sunday) and says: “He's been very brave.”

Although they have lived completely separate lives for many years and only communicate through their secretaries, King Juan Carlos' wife and mother of Felipe VI and his two sisters, Queen Sofía, also visited her husband at the Quirónsalud University Hospital in the Madrid commuter town of Pozuelo de Alarcón, and was approached by reporters as she left at 19.00 today.

Queen Sofía (pictured above with King Juan Carlos on an earlier occasion) says: “You wouldn't know he'd had an operation.”

“He's slept well, he's awake and has eaten now – he's in an excellent condition,” Spain's 'Queen Mother' assured.

Her husband was even able to sit up in a chair, but 'couldn't stay standing for long'.

Juan Carlos I is in good humour, though, Queen Sofía reveals.

“He's really relaxed, joking around and everything,” she said.

The rest of the family will be visiting 'bit by bit' now the former king is recovering from surgery, she explains.

King Felipe and his wife, Queen Letizia were the first to visit after Queen Sofía, spending around an hour and a half by their father and father-in-law's bedside, and have since told reporters he has been 'very brave' but that he is still in intensive care for the moment.

“He's progressing well, but he needs to be patient because they can't rush these things,” the reigning monarch said.

“It's a big operation, it's not just any old thing.

“Although he has the usual aches and pains, he's getting along very well and all within what the doctors consider 'normal' for surgery of this type.

“We don't know when he'll be moved onto a ward yet, but it could be a matter of hours.”

Reporters asked Queen Letizia directly how she thought her father-in-law was, and she said: “I thought he seemed really brave, in truth.”

Felipe VI says his father 'has not lost his sense of humour' and seemed 'very jolly'.

“There's not much to complain about,” he admits.

Once he is out of intensive care, the retired monarch will be visited by King Felipe's sisters, the Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, and by his grandchildren, who include Felipe VI and Letizia's daughters, Princess Leonor, 13 and the Infanta Sofía, 12.