Felipe Juan Froilan, Spanish King's Grandson, Shoots Self In Foot

MADRID -- The 13-year-old grandson of Spain's King Juan Carlos was recovering in a hospital on Tuesday after shooting himself in the foot accidentally with a shotgun, the royal palace said.

A palace official said the child, Felipe Juan Froilan, was handling a small-caliber shotgun Monday at a country estate owned by his father when the gun went off and hit him in the right foot. His father was with him at the time.

Under Spanish law, it is illegal for children under 14 to possess or discharge firearms. A palace official declined to comment on the infraction.

It is now up to a judge to decide whether to punish the boy's father. Spain's Civil Guard police said he could face a fine of up to (EURO)6,000 ($7,900).

Widely known in Spanish media as simply Froilan, the boy is the son of Princess Elena, the eldest of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's three children. His father is an aristocrat and banker named Jaime de Marichalar. The couple were divorced in 2009.

The royal palace said the boy underwent surgery on a toe overnight and will be hospitalized for a few days. Froilan is the eldest of eight royal grandchildren.

It was not the first shooting incident in the royal family's history.

In 1956, Juan Carlos was handling a gun that accidentally went off and killed his 14-year-old brother. The accident happened in Estoril, Portugal.

The royal family has been the focus of much media attention in recent months on account of a judicial probe into whether the other princess' husband – Inaki Urdangarin – used his privileged position to secure lucrative deals for a nonprofit foundation he ran, then fraudulently diverted some of the money for personal benefit.

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Ciaran Giles contributed to this report.

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Comments

[rbenjamin]

09:26 AM on 04/11/2012

Too much chlorine in the gene pool? The Crown might want to consider corking the household forks.

[myplenny]

11:24 PM on 04/10/2012

Its the blood line

[LMPE]

10:10 PM on 04/10/2012

OK, it sounds as if this family needs to avoid firearms.

[Ed Forney]

09:26 PM on 04/10/2012

No such thing as a "small caliber shotgun". Especially at short range.

[myplenny]

11:25 PM on 04/10/2012

.410, 41 cal. Antiques now.

[California Beach Bum]

09:18 PM on 04/10/2012

Hey Felipe Juan Froilan you need to treat every gun as if it was loaded? Don't forget that next time when you play with your daddy's shotgun. Oh yea, don't look down the barrel either!

The father needs to go to jail for allowing the 13-year-old to play with a his shotgun! I wonder if his shotgun was registered? I sure would like to know!

[screwitall]

08:42 PM on 04/10/2012

Another knowledgable gun owner,bet its registered and he has a permit to carry..........scary

[Jay Love]

05:06 AM on 04/11/2012

the only thing scary is yet another anti-gunner like you, using another accident to fost your opinion on the rest of the world? the tragedy here is this boy was never taught safe gun handling earlier in his life, most likly this would never have happened? I was taught how to shot and gun safety very young, probably 6 or 7 by my father and have never in 50 years had a gun accident, nor shot up a school?

[erswnn]

08:50 AM on 04/11/2012

Yep, a firearm is as safe as it's handler. If the handler is untrained then bad things can happen. I've been shooting for 45 years now and carrying for 32. No accidents, no negligent discharges. Following the Four Rules is all it takes to be safe.

I did have my first accidental discharge a few days ago. An older single shot .22 that fired when the bolt was closed quickly. Fortunately I was following the rules and the muzzle was pointed in a safe direction. For those unaware, accidental means someting is wrong with the gun, negligent means the operator did something wrong, even if not on purpose. You don't accidentally pull the trigger, you negligently pull the trigger.

[screwitall]

11:04 AM on 04/11/2012

Well Jay you did have one correct reply."Anti-gunner" isn't one of them. I have been picking up guns (weapons) since My Son and that is awhile back.I'd guess I have more then your local pawn shop."This boy was never taught safe gun handling" probably correct and there in lies the problem.Most young kids do not have a clue who their father is.Those that do see them less and less due to the fathers needed work time.I'm sure your accident record of fifty years does not compare very well with those who have had accidents.or intentional harm

[majmac9659]

08:11 PM on 04/10/2012

Shotguns come in gauges - not calibers. Just sayin'.

[myplenny]

11:26 PM on 04/10/2012

wrong the itty bity 410.

[majmac9659]

08:45 AM on 04/11/2012

Good point - I forgot about the venerable .410! Thank you!

[Bobcheesedoodle]

07:51 PM on 04/10/2012

This is nothing. Mitt Romney seems to shoot himself in the foot every day. (despite how it seems, I am not a professional comedian)

[firstamendment3]

05:02 PM on 04/10/2012

I guess if you are descended from Juana La Loca, this is inevitable.

[Canefighter]

04:45 PM on 04/10/2012

Better then hearing about Bill Clinton shooting some intern in the face and on her dress. I know, I know. Just saying.

[LMPE]

10:11 PM on 04/10/2012

Including Dick Cheney's hunting trip?

[myplenny]

11:27 PM on 04/10/2012

Or the Bushies in Mexico getting their guns off. wallah

[jonny dipstick]

04:33 PM on 04/10/2012

This was obviously done in self defense.

[abudotcom]

03:49 PM on 04/10/2012

I think it should read: SPAIN KING'S Grandson, instead of: Spanish King's Grandson? Just asking.....

[LMPE]

10:12 PM on 04/10/2012

I've never heard Spain King. I think that Spanish King is correct.

[shootr687]

11:33 PM on 04/10/2012

Felipe Juan Froilan, the grandson of the King of Spain sounds better.

[StopMakingSense2]

03:36 PM on 04/10/2012

He'll fit right in with the Cheney hunting party!

[LMPE]

10:13 PM on 04/10/2012

I just answered that to someone else's post. Should've checked to see if you'd written anything!

[libr045]

02:41 PM on 04/10/2012

The 'other' princesses husband? Does she not have a name ?

[KC WRIGHT]

02:22 PM on 04/10/2012

Better his foot than his brother. (Like his Grandpa).