Spain royal grandson shoots self in foot

MADRID -- The 13-year-old grandson of King Juan Carlos was recovering in a hospital yesterday after shooting himself in the foot accidentally with a shotgun.

A royal palace official said Felipe Juan Froilan was handling a small-caliber shotgun Monday at his father's country estate 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 $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 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.

-- AP