King Juan Carlos of Spain is abdicating the throne after 39 years in favour of his son Crown Prince Felipe, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced.
Juan Carlos, 76, has ruled Spain since the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, and was been a very popular figure in the Spanish establishment over much of his reign.
Almost immediately after taking the throne, he introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and transition Spain to a democracy. This led to creation and approval of the Spanish Constitution in 1978, which transformed the country into a constitutional monarchy.
However, during Spain’s recent economic troubles his support has been in decline, with a photograph of him elephant hunting in Botswana in April 2012 demonstrating the dislocation between him and the general population.
An ongoing police investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding his daughter and her husband have further added to the sentiment among many Spaniards that he lived in a world increasingly divorced from theirs and where different rules apply.
His son, 45-year-old Crown Prince Felipe, will take over the thrown.
