King Juan Carlos of Spain, the man credited with steering his country towards democracy after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, is to abdicate.
The announcement was made by Spain's prime minister Mariano Rajoy.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 76-year-old king will be replaced by his son, Felipe.
According to the BBC, Juan Carlos was long seen as "one of the world's most popular monarchs".
Juan Carlos became king on November 22, 1975, two days after the death of Franco, who had named him as his successor.
Over the subsequent months, the king quickly dismantled the institutions of Francoism – a move which made him a constitutional monarch under a newly democratic system. In 1981, Juan Carlos stood firm against a military coup, which, according to The Times, "won him international respect – and the adoration of his people".
Rajoy said that Juan Carlos had been a "tireless defender of our interests".
The king's popularity "dipped" in recent years, The Guardian says, after his reputation was diminished by a spate of scandals. In 2012, during the height of the financial crisis, Juan Carlos took a lavish elephant-hunting trip to Botswana. And in February this year his youngest daughter, Princess Cristina, became the first member of the royal family to appear in court as a suspect in a criminal case. Her husband is currently under investigation for embezzlement.
A poll in January found that two thirds of Spanish people believed that abdication was the best option for the king. It also found that the same percentage had a "good" opinion of Prince Felipe.
-
China’s single mothers are teaming upUnder the Radar To cope with money pressures and work commitments, single mums are sharing homes, bills and childcare
-
Employees are branching out rather than moving up with career minimalismThe explainer From career ladder to lily pad
-
‘It is their greed and the pollution from their products that hurt consumers’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
