Spain 's King Felipe and Queen Letizia put on a united front today , as they stepped out for the first time since explosive new claims about the 47-year-old monarch 's father emerged . According to a new book by a former royal correspondent , the former King Juan Carlos II had a long-running affair with a German socialite during the final decade of his reign . But if Felipe and Letizia were upset about the revelations , they certainly were n't showing it as they arrived at the University of Alcala de Henares to present the Cervantes Prize for Literature . Scroll down for video . Claims : King Felipe and Queen Letizia present a united front following the latest Spanish royal scandal . Walking arm-in-arm with his 42-year-old wife , King Felipe , who took the Spanish throne last June , kept a straight face as he approached photographers . Later , as a group of ukulele-wielding students appeared to serenade the royal couple , Felipe even managed a small smile . Well-hidden though any private anguish may have been , the news will have undoubtedly come as a blow to the Spanish royal who has been attempting to overhaul the image of the monarchy in Spain since taking the throne . His father Juan-Carlos was famous for his love of freebies , even , on one occasion , accepting a yacht called Fortuna as a gift . Not good : A new book by journalist Ana Romero ( left ) says King Juan-Carlos had a decade-long affair . Divorce : It also claimed that Juan-Carlos contemplated divorcing Felipe 's mother , Queen Sofia . Unruffled : The Spanish royal couple kept any worries about the allegations under wraps during the visit . Light relief : Felipe managed a small smile while being serenaded by a group of student musicians . In June 2012 , with the Spanish economy in crisis and unemployment running at close to 50 per cent among the young , Juan-Carlos was photographed enjoying a lavish hunting safari in Botswana . The trip , which was not announced in advance , only became known to Spanish taxpayers when the 77-year-old was injured and had to charter a special plane in order to get home . Juan-Carlos ' African jaunt , a freebie paid for by Syrian businessman Mohamed Eyad Kayali , led to widespread calls for his abdication , which he did less than a year later . Since taking the Spanish throne , Felipe has introduced a new code of conduct which bans royals from accepting lavish gifts and also outlaws private business activity - the latter in response to a fraud scandal that enmeshed his sister Infanta Cristina in 2010 . He has also included a stipulation that insists members of the Spanish royal family behave at all times in ways likely to 'please ' and 'earn them the gratitude of ' the public . Blow : The scandal is a set-back for Felipe who has been trying to change public perception of the monarchy . Freebies : Felipe 's new rules include banning all royals , among them wife Letizia , from taking freebies . Behaviour : Royals are expected to behave in a way that earns them the gratitude of the Spanish public . Despite Felipe 's best efforts , his father 's legacy remains troublesome - in particular his record of extramarital affairs . Most recently , a Belgian woman named Ingrid Sartiau filed a paternity suit against him - a case only made possible because of his abdication . Juan-Carlos is also believed to have a second illegitimate son , Alberto Sola who was born in 1956 and lives in Barcelona . The latest scandal focuses on the final decade of his reign with Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein , a German 28 years his junior , claiming to have had a lengthy affair with the royal . Speaking to Ana Romero , a former royal correspondent and the author of a new book called Final De Partida [ End Game ] , Ms Sayn-Wittgenstein claimed that Juan-Carlos had contemplated divorcing his wife Queen Sofia in order to marry her .
King Felipe was making his first appearance since the claims began . New book alleges his father had a secret affair with a German socialite . Corinna zu Sayn - Wittgenstein - Juan - reportedly wanted to marry her . Felipe , meanwhile , was joined by wife Letizia , 42 , at home of Alcala de Henares .