June 3, 2014

King Juan Carlos of Spain announced yesterday that he will step down after nearly 40 years on the throne in favor of his son, Crown Prince Felipe. The abdication could take place as early as mid-June. Upon his ascension, the new king will be Felipe VI. The Spanish royal family are members of the House of Bourbon. The Spanish Bourbon dynasty dates back to the War of the Spanish Succession.

Juan Carlos was popular for much of his reign, but in recent years he has lost the confidence of many Spaniards. The monarchy has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into the business dealings of his daughter, the Infanta Cristina, and her husband. Support for Juan Carlos also fell when the public learned that he had gone on a lavish elephant-hunting trip to Botswana in April 2012–the height of Spain’s financial crisis. The economy of Spain remains in dismal condition. Fully 25 percent of the work forces is unemployed. The rate of unemployment for people under the age of 25 stood at 55.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Prince Juan Carlos (left) became king of Spain upon the death in 1975 of fascist dictator Francisco Franco (right). Juan Carlos ignored Franco's intentions for the government by introducing a parliamentary democracy. (United Press Int.)

After yesterday’s announcement, tens of thousands of people across a number of Spanish cities, including Madrid and Barcelona, demonstrated, demanding a referendum on the monarchy. However, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has rejected all calls for a referendum, saying the monarchy had “the support of the great majority in Spain.” The two main parties in parliament and many Spanish newspapers remain loyal to the monarchy.

Juan Carlos is credited with introducing reforms to dismantle the regime of Francisco Franco and move Spain from a dictatorship to a parliamentary democracy. He also played a major role in stopping a military coup in 1981.

Additional World Book articles:

• Royal families
• Spain 1975 (a Back in Time article)
• Spain 1976 (a Back in Time article)
• Spain 1981 (a Back in Time article)
• Spain 2013 (a Back in Time article)
• Crisis in the Eurozone (a special report)
• Economic Crisis: No End in Sight (a special report)