The King of Spain’s nephew is alleged to have racially abused a student at a Madrid theme park.
Felipe Juan Froilán, who is 17-years-old, is alleged to have hurled abuse at the student after trying to jump the queue for one of the roller coasters at Parque de Atracciones in Madrid last week.
The prince is reported to have become angry when a teacher challenged his attempt to jump to the front of the line, saying: “You don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m fourth in line to the Spanish throne.”
When a student from another group, who has been named as Pipe, told the prince that this was no excuse and he should still wait his turn, Froilán allegedly shouted: “You shut up you f***ing chino” – ‘chino’ meaning Chinese in Spanish.
Spanish paper El Economista reports that various witnesses have confirmed the incident happened.
This is not the first time that Froilán has hit the headlines. In 2012, he shot himself in the foot on a hunting trip and two years later was expelled from school after failing his exams.
He is the son of Princess Elena, eldest sister of King Felipe VI, and her ex-husband Jaime de Marichalar.
Froilán’s alleged behaviour will cause a fresh headache for the Spanish monarchy, which was once the most popular in Europe but suffered a series of scandals in recent years. King Juan Carlos announced his abdication last year, handing the throne to son Felipe.
The new king and his glamorous wife, Queen Letizia, have done much to revive the royal family’s image, but an ongoing corruption scandal involving Felipe’s sister, Princess Cristina, continues to damage their reputation.