The role of monarchs and monarchy itself in the 21st century is a complicated one. For some, it’s an outdated institution; a relic of an earlier era that has no place in a world where democracy abounds. For others, it’s a warm reminder of history and a font of memorable traditions. Given the way the British royal family has stayed in the news (to say nothing of the popularity of The Crown), it’s not hard to see that lives of kings and queens continue to appeal to many in 2021.
But what about the life of someone who might well be the son of a king? A new report at The New York Times by Nicholas Casey and José Bautista takes the reader inside the life of Albert Solà Jimenez. Solà lives a relatively quiet life in Catalonia, where he works as a waiter in a pub. It’s also possible that he is the son of Spain’s King Juan Carlos I.
Born in 1956, Solà has appeared on television making his claim, and also wrote a book about his life, El Monarca De La Bisbal. He was adopted as a child, and no records of his birth parents exist. However, a genetic test suggests that he and Ingrid Sartiau, who has also argued that King Juan Carlos is her father, are half siblings. And other details about his childhood and young adulthood suggest a number of unanswered questions in his past.
Could Solà actually be the former king’s son? It’s unlikely that there will ever be a definitive answer to this question. And, as Casey and Bautista write, history abounds with people who have claimed to be of royal descent who turned out not to be. It’s a compelling read regardless.
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