Upon his death in 2009, the Ciutadella Palace was bequeathed to the investor, pharmacist and millionaire Juan Ignacio Ballada La Presse to the then Princes of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia (50%) and to the eight grandchildren of the current King Emeritus, Juan Carlos I (other 50%).
Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, both of legal age, renounced the inheritance of this building and donated their money to the Hesperia Foundation. Participation fees on the property.
This is confirmed by the response sent by the Royal House to the Ciutadella City Council, after the Council requested again, last July, Transfer of this property according to Menorca.info page.
With this move, Leonor and Sofia follow in the footsteps of their parents, who in 2010 They decided to allocate their corresponding portion of the inheritance for social purposes. They also give up private use of the property. For this reason, it was emphasized in the response letter from the Royal House that both “now lack the authority to decide on the fate of the properties.”
Juan Ignacio Ballada left his inheritance, 50 percent, to the then princes of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia, and the other half to the titular king’s eight grandchildren: Froilan and Victoria Federica de Marichalar, children of Jaime de Marichalar and Elena de Borbón; John, Paul, Miguel and Irene Urdangarin, children of Iñaki Urdangarin and Cristina de Borbón; And to the daughters of kings.
The Council previously asked the Royal House in 2021 about the transfer process, and at that time the response was that all grandchildren must be of legal age. Leonor is 20 years old and her sister is 18 years old.They already did that, which is why they gave up their role. It is not known what the rest of the descendants of the titular kings will do.