King Juan Carlos I of Spain

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

King Juan Carlos I was the reigning King of Spain from November 22, 1975, until his abdication on June 19, 2014. He was born Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, Infante of Spain, on January 5, 1938, in Rome, where the family had settled after the monarchy was overthrown in 1931 and Spain became a Republic. His parents were Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Juan Carlos was christened on January 26, 1938, at the Chapel of the Order of Malta in Rome, Italy by Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See, Monsignor Eugenio Pacelli, future Pope Pius XII. His godparents were:

Juan Carlos has three siblings:

Despite the family living in exile, Juan Carlos was permitted to return to Spain in 1948 to attend school. After graduating from the San Isidro Institute in Madrid in 1954, he joined the Army, receiving his officer training at the Military Academy of Zaragoza. This was followed by a year with the Navy and then another year with the Air Force, after which he attended Complutense University in Madrid, studying law and international relations.

 

Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark on May 14, 1962, at the Church of Saint Dennis in Athens. Sophia is the eldest daughter of King Paul of the Hellenes and Princess Frederica of Hanover.

The couple took up residence at Zarzuela Palace, and have three children:

King Juan Carlos being sworn in as King of Spain photo: EyeOnSpain.com

King Juan Carlos being sworn in as King of Spain.  photo: EyeOnSpain.com

On July 21, 1969, General Franco formally named Juan Carlos as his successor, giving him the newly created title ‘The Prince of Spain’. Franco died on November 22, 1975, and Juan Carlos was proclaimed King by the Cortes. He was formally sworn in on November 27, 1975. While many expected the new King to continue with Franco’s policies and government, Juan Carlos instead began implementing changes and reforms. In 1977, Spain held its first democratic elections, and the following year saw the institution of a new Spanish Constitution.

King Juan Carlos addressing the nation, February 23, 1981. photo: BBC

King Juan Carlos addressing the nation, February 23, 1981.  photo: BBC

Deemed by some to be his greatest accomplishment was his handling of an attempted coup in 1981. When the democratically elected members of the Cortes (Spanish parliament) were taken hostage, the King addressed the nation, calling for the law to be upheld and the government to continue. The coup attempt quickly fell apart, and within 18 hours, the Cortes was back in control. The King’s strong stance and forceful speech led to a surge in popularity and support of the monarchy.

In the later years of his reign, the King was plagued with several health issues, as well as several personal matters which proved problematic for the monarchy. Most prominent have been allegations directed at his son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarín, for diverting public funds for personal use through one of his companies. Later, the King’s daughter, Infanta Cristina, was also charged with tax fraud and money laundering. In 2012, while Spain was in the midst of a financial crisis, the King went on an elephant-hunting trip to Botswana. The trip became public knowledge when the King was injured and a special plane was flown to return him to Spain. He was quickly vilified in the media for the lavish trip, estimated at costing more than 2-years the average salary in Spain, while many Spaniards were suffering at home. The presence of a reported mistress on the trip also caused significant discord at home. All of these events took a strong personal toll on the King, as well as the Spanish monarchy as a whole.

King Juan Carlos formally signing the abdication into law, June 18, 2014. Photo: Hello

King Juan Carlos signing the abdication into law, June 18, 2014.  Photo: Hello

In June 2014, despite earlier denials from the Palace, King Juan Carlos announced his intent to abdicate in favor of his son, Felipe. On June 18th, the King signed the law granting the abdication which would take effect just after midnight. The following day, his son was formally sworn-in as King Felipe VI.

In late May 2019, it was announced that King Juan Carlos plans to retire completely from official duties, as of June 2, 2019 – five years after the date he announced his plans to abdicate.

In March 2020, Swiss authorities began investigating Juan Carlos concerning a $100 million donation given to the former king’s alleged mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn in 2012. This donation was linked to alleged kick-back fees from Saudi Arabia for Juan Carlos’ role as a facilitator in the construction of a high-speed rail connecting Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

On March 15, 2020, King Felipe VI announced that he would renounce any future inheritance from his father that was connected with his foreign bank accounts. He also stripped Juan Carlos of his annual stipend.

In June 2020, Spain’s prosecutor general decided that prosecutors from the Supreme Court should investigate Juan Carlos’ role in the Saudi Arabia case to determine whether there is sufficient evidence that Juan Carlos committed a crime after his abdication. As King of Spain, Juan Carlos was immune from prosecution via crown immunity from 1975 to 2014.

On August 3, 2020, Juan Carlos I informed his son, King Felipe VI, via a letter, of his decision to leave Spain because of increased media press concerning his business dealings in Saudi Arabia. By the time the letter had been made public, Juan Carlos had already left the country. Initially, the Royal Household declined requests to publicly disclose Juan Carlos’s location. However, on August 17, 2020, the Royal Household confirmed that Juan Carlos was in the United Arab Emirates. His wife Queen Sofia will remain in Spain, staying at her home, Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, and continue with her activities.

On August 3, 2020, the following letter was sent to King Felipe VI from his father, Juan Carlos, the former King of Spain:

Your Majesty, Dear Felipe, with the same zeal to serve Spain that inspired my reign and faced with the public impact that certain past actions of my private life are causing, I wish to show you my absolute willingness to contribute to helping the exercise of your functions with the peace and tranquility required of your high level of responsibility. My legacy, and my own dignity as a person, demands it.

A year ago, I told you of my willingness and desire to stand down from my institutional activities. Now, guided by the conviction to provide the best service to Spaniards, its institutions, and to you as King, I am informing you of my well-considered decision to move away from Spain.

It is a decision I take, with deep feeling but great calm. I was king of Spain for 40 years and during all those years I have always wanted the best for Spain and the Crown.

With my loyalty always.
With great affection, your father.

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