118-599: King Juan Carlos I Queen Sofía Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz : The Duchess of Soria and Hernani The Duke of Soria and Hernani The Dowager Duchess of Calabria Juan Carlos I ( Spanish: [xwaŋˈkaɾlos] ; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until his abdication on 19 June 2014. In Spain, since his abdication, Juan Carlos has usually been referred to as
236-846: A Shabbat service at the Beth Yaacov synagogue in Madrid in June 1976, marking the first time in modern Spanish history that a member of the Spanish royal family had visited a Jewish house of worship. She is executive president of the Queen Sofía Foundation, which in 1993, sent funds for relief in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is honorary president of the Royal Board on Education and Care of Handicapped Persons of Spain, as well as
354-491: A sex addiction . In the Royal Library of Madrid , there are books containing emblems of the Spanish monarch. Alfonso XIII is a rare example of endogamy . In the eleventh generation he is assumed to only have 111 ancestors whereas in a standard situation one expects to identify 1024 of them, a situation of implex of 89%. The biological paternity of Alfonso's father Alfonso XII on the part of Francisco de Asís
472-416: A Catholic, anti-Catalanist , dictatorial and militarist brand of Spanish nationalism. On 28 January 1930, amid economic problems, general unpopularity and a putschist plot led by General Manuel Goded in motion, of which Alfonso XIII was most probably aware, Miguel Primo de Rivera was forced to resign, exiling to Paris, only to die a few weeks later of the complications from diabetes in combination with
590-536: A Nobel Prize. Alfonso XIII was born at the Royal Palace of Madrid on 17 May 1886. He was the posthumous son of Alfonso XII of Spain, who had died in November 1885, and became king upon his birth. Just after he was born, he was carried naked to the prime minister Práxedes Mateo Sagasta on a silver tray. Five days later, he was carried in a solemn court procession with a Golden Fleece around his neck and
708-555: A key endorsement of the monarchy from Spain's political left , who had been historically republican . Left-wing support for the monarchy had grown when the Communist Party of Spain was legalized on 9 April 1977, a move Juan Carlos had pressed for, despite enormous right-wing military opposition at that time, during the Cold War . On 15 June 1977, Spain held its first post-Franco democratic elections . Juan Carlos had played
826-461: A liberal who was opposed to his regime. Juan Carlos's first cousin Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz , was also briefly considered as a candidate. Alfonso was known to be an ardent Francoist and married Franco's granddaughter, Doña María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco , in 1972. Ultimately, Franco decided to skip a generation and name Infante Juan Carlos as his personal successor. Franco hoped
944-543: A major role in preventing a coup that attempted to revert to Francoist government in the King's name. In 2008, he was considered the most popular leader across all Ibero-America . Hailed for his role in Spain's transition to democracy, the King and the monarchy's reputation began to suffer after controversies surrounding his family arose, exacerbated by the public controversy centering on an elephant-hunting trip he undertook during
1062-402: A majority of Movimiento members supported both measures. Juan Carlos quickly instituted reforms, to the great displeasure of Falangist and conservative ( monarchist ) elements, especially in the military, who had expected him to maintain the authoritarian state. In July 1976, Juan Carlos dismissed prime minister Carlos Arias Navarro , who had been attempting to continue Francoist policies in
1180-514: A majority of councillors overall, won a sweeping majority in major cities in the 1931 municipal elections , which were perceived as a plebiscite on monarchy. The results shocked the government, with foreign minister Romanones admitting to the press an "absolute monarchist defeat" and Civil Guard honcho José Sanjurjo reportedly telling government ministers that, given circumstances, the Armed Forces could not be "absolutely" relied upon for
1298-520: A meeting in Madrid and decided with 226 votes to 13 to remove the King from its honorary presidency. He later apologised for the hunting trip. Up until the Botswana elephant trip, Juan Carlos had enjoyed a high level of shielding from media scrutiny, described as "rare among Western leaders". On the 500th anniversary of the Alhambra Decree in 1992, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia visited
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#17327655689571416-673: A plebiscite on maintaining the monarchy or declaring a republic – the result of which led to the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic on 14 April 1931. His efforts with the European War Office during World War I earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, which was ultimately won by the Red Cross . To date, he remains the only monarch known to have been nominated for
1534-891: A process dating back to the Civil War of 1936–39. He swore using the following formula: "I swear to God and the Gospels to comply and enforce compliance to the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and to remain loyal to the Principles of the National Movement ". On 27 November, a Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated in the church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid to inaugurate his reign. He opted not to call himself Juan III or Carlos V, but Juan Carlos I. Juan Carlos
1652-454: A role as middleman in order to channel $ 10 million from the Shah of Iran to Adolfo Suárez's election campaign, reportedly asking the Shah for the money to "save Spain from Marxism". Suárez went on to win the election and become the first democratically elected leader of the new regime. In 1978, the government promulgated a new constitution that acknowledged Juan Carlos as rightful heir of
1770-593: A sign that the King was indifferent over the lives of his soldiers. In 1922, the Cortes started an investigation into the responsibility for the Annual disaster and soon discovered evidence that the King had been one of the main supporters of Silvestre's advance into the Rif mountains. After the "Disaster of the Annual", Spain's war in the Rif went from bad to worse, and as the Spanish were barely hanging on to Morocco, support for
1888-649: A special aircraft was sent to bring him home. Spanish officials stated that the expenses of the trip were not paid by taxpayers or by the palace, but by Mohamed Eyad Kayali, a businessman of Syrian origin. Cayo Lara Moya of the United Left party said the King's trip "demonstrated a lack of ethics and respect toward many people in this country who are suffering a lot" while Tomás Gómez of the Socialist party said Juan Carlos should choose between "public responsibilities or an abdication". In April 2012, Spain's unemployment
2006-710: A strict constitutional monarch, and supported the Africanists who wanted to conquer for Spain a new empire in Africa to compensate for the lost empire in the Americas and elsewhere. The Rif War had starkly polarized Spanish society between the Africanists who wanted to conquer an empire in Africa vs. the abandonistas who wanted to abandon Morocco as not worth the blood and treasure. Alfonso liked to play favourites with his generals, and one of his most favoured generals
2124-495: A time of financial crisis in Spain. In June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, who acceded to the throne as Felipe VI. Since August 2020, Juan Carlos has lived in self-imposed exile from Spain over allegedly improper ties to business deals in Saudi Arabia . The New York Times estimated in 2014 that Juan Carlos's fortune was around 1.8 billion euros (2.3 billion U.S. dollars). Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María
2242-466: Is believed to have been a major factor in foiling the coup. The coup leaders had promised many of their potential supporters that they were acting in the King's name and with his approval, but were unable to demonstrate either, and the broadcast — coming just after midnight on the night of the coup — definitively showed the King's opposition to the coup makers. When Juan Carlos became king, Communist leader Santiago Carrillo had nicknamed him Juan Carlos
2360-489: Is reported to have been pressured by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to personally tell Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet , who had traveled to Spain for Franco's funeral, not to attend his inauguration. Juan Carlos's accession met with relatively little parliamentary opposition. Some members of the Movimiento Nacional voted against recognizing him, and even more voted against the 1976 Law for Political Reform. But
2478-592: The turno system, the deepening of the Restoration system crisis in the 1910s, a trio of crises in 1917 , the spiral of violence in Morocco and, especially, the lead-up to the 1923 installment of the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera , an event that succeeded by means of both military coup d'état and the king's acquiescence. Over the course of his reign, the monarch ended up favouring an authoritarian solution rather than constitutional liberalism. Upon
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#17327655689572596-473: The rey emérito ('king emeritus ') by the press. Juan Carlos is the son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona , and grandson of Alfonso XIII , the last king of Spain before the abolition of the monarchy in 1931 and the subsequent declaration of the Second Spanish Republic . Juan Carlos was born in Rome , Italy, during his family's exile. Francisco Franco took over the government of Spain after his victory in
2714-743: The 1960 Summer Olympics . Sofía met her paternal third cousin, the then Infante Juan Carlos of Spain on a cruise in the Greek Islands in 1954; they met again at the wedding of the Duke of Kent , her paternal second cousin, at York Minster in June 1961. Sofía and Juan Carlos married on 14 May 1962, at the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Dionysius in Athens. Sofía converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Catholicism to become more palatable to Catholic Spain, and thus relinquished her rights to
2832-493: The Africanists comprising only a minority, it was clear that it was only a matter of time before the abandonistas forced the Spanish to give up on the Rif, which was part of the reason for the military coup d'état later in 1923 . On 13 September 1923, Miguel Primo de Rivera , Captain General of Catalonia, staged a military coup with the collaboration from a quad of Africanist generals based in Madrid who were associated to
2950-649: The Beth Yaacov Synagogue in Madrid , led by Chief Rabbif of Madrid Yehuda Benasouli to commemorate the occasion. While Sofia had been to the synagogue in the 1970s, the occasion marked the first time that the king had visited a synagogue in Spain. The Spanish royals were joined by Israeli President Chaim Herzog , Herzog's predecessor Yitzhak Navon , Rabbi Solomon Gaon and other Israeli and Spanish officials. Also present were descendants of Abraham Senior and Isaac Abarbanel , who had unsuccessfully petitioned King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to retract
3068-536: The City Council of Madrid dedicated in 2003 to Ratoncito Pérez on the second floor of number eight of Calle del Arenal [ es ] , where the mouse was said to have lived. Alfonso and his wife Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg (Ena) had seven children: Alfonso also had a number of reported illegitimate children that are known, including: Alfonso was known for his friendly attitude towards Jews and publicly praised them. In 1932, he embraced
3186-768: The General Military Academy at Zaragoza . Later, he attended the Naval Military School and the General Academy of the Air, and finished his tertiary education at the University of Madrid . In 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark in Athens. The couple have three children: Elena , Cristina , and Felipe . Due to Franco's declining health, Juan Carlos first began periodically acting as Spain's head of state in
3304-621: The Judeo-Masonic-Communist conspiracy theory . He took several actions to offer them protection. In 1917, Alfonso instructed the Spanish consul in Jerusalem , Antonio de la Cierva y Lewita, Count of Ballobar, to help protect Palestinian Jews . On another occasion, after a high official in Tetuan had committed onslaughts against Jews, a delegation composed of Catholics, Jews, and Muslims appealed to Alfonso. The King then removed
3422-475: The Military Academy of Zaragoza . According to his sister Pilar, he had difficulty in his studies because of dyslexia . Juan Carlos has two sisters: Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (1936–2020); and Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria (born 1939). He also had a younger brother, Alfonso (1941–1956). The rendering of his name as "Juan Carlos" (the first and second particles of his baptismal name)
3540-803: The National Library , National Museum and the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , which had the oldest extant university charter in Asia and housed the world's largest collection of suyat scripts. She also met with Spanish nationals residing in the Philippines, and attended a reception at the Spanish Embassy. She also attended a state dinner in her honour at Malacañan Palace hosted by President Benigno Aquino III , and thanked
3658-604: The Palace of Zarzuela and began carrying out official engagements. The dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco came to power during the Spanish Civil War , which pitted a government of democrats, anarchists, socialists, and communists, supported by the Soviet Union and international volunteers, against a rebellion of conservatives, monarchists, nationalists, and fascists, supported by both Hitler and Mussolini, with
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3776-779: The San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and of the Spanish Royal Academy of History . She has received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Rosario ( Bogotá ), Valladolid , Cambridge , Oxford , Georgetown , Evora , St. Mary's University ( Texas ), and New York . Sofía has been honorary president of the Spanish Unicef Committee since 1971. She has been working closely with Dr. Muhammad Yunus on his Grameen Bank , which offers microcredits to women across
3894-670: The Spanish Civil War in 1939, yet in 1947 Spain's status as a monarchy was affirmed and a law was passed allowing Franco to choose his successor. Juan Carlos's father assumed his claims to the throne after King Alfonso XIII died in February 1941. However, Franco saw Juan Carlos's father to be too liberal and in 1969 declared Juan Carlos his successor as head of state. Juan Carlos spent his early years in Italy and came to Spain in 1947 to continue his studies. After completing his secondary education in 1955, he began his military training and entered
4012-628: The Spanish Sahara by Moroccan civilians, followed by the Madrid Accords handing over the control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania . Franco died on 20 November 1975, and two days later on 22 November the Cortes Españolas proclaimed Juan Carlos King of Spain. In his address to the Cortes, Juan Carlos spoke of three factors: historical tradition, national laws, and the will of the people, and in so doing referred to
4130-571: The abandonistas grew as many people could see no point to the war. In August 1923, Spanish soldiers embarking for Morocco mutinied, other soldiers in Málaga simply refused to board the ships that were to take them to Morocco, while in Barcelona huge crowds of left-wingers had staged anti-war protests at which Spanish flags were burned while the flag of the Rif Republic was waved about. With
4248-462: The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera that it was difficult for him to distance himself from the regime that he had supported for almost seven years. The enforced changes relied on the incorrect assumption that Spaniards would accept the notion that nothing had happened after 1923 and that going back to the prior state of things was possible. On 12 April, the Republican coalition, short of winning
4366-597: The execution of the Romanov family , but was mistaken in believing that only Nicholas II and his son Alexei had been killed. As such, he continued to push for the Tsarina Alexandra and her four daughters to be brought to Spain, not having realized that they had also been murdered. Alfonso became gravely ill during the 1918 flu pandemic . Spain was neutral and thus under no wartime censorship restrictions, so his illness and subsequent recovery were reported to
4484-489: The African due to his Africanist views , was King of Spain from his birth until 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He became a monarch at birth as his father, Alfonso XII , had died the previous year. Alfonso's mother, Maria Christina of Austria , served as regent until he assumed full powers on his sixteenth birthday in 1902. Alfonso XIII's upbringing and public image were closely linked to
4602-542: The Barcelona production company Royal Films , with the Count of Romanones acting as an intermediary figure between him and the company. Between forty and seventy pornographic films are said to have been shot in total (three of which have been preserved) and were screened in Barcelona's Chinatown , as well as during Alfonso's private screenings. The films, while silent and in black and white, were nonetheless very explicit for
4720-616: The Brief , predicting that the monarchy would soon be swept away with the other remnants of the Franco era. After the collapse of the attempted coup however, in an emotional statement, Carrillo remarked: "Today, we are all monarchists." Public support for the monarchy among democrats and leftists, which had been limited before 1981, increased significantly following the king's handling of the coup. However, this event remains controversial and has led to several alternative theories that cast doubt on
4838-455: The Easter holidays from military school. Both Juan Carlos, age 18, and Alfonso, age 14, had been apparently playing with a .22 caliber Long Automatic Star revolver owned by Alfonso. As they were alone in the room, it is unclear how Alfonso was shot, but according to Josefina Carolo, dressmaker to Juan Carlos's mother, Juan Carlos pointed the pistol at Alfonso and pulled the trigger, unaware that it
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4956-507: The Greek throne. Sofía was in Greece on a private visit to her brother, King Constantine II , when the 1967 Greek military coup took place. Except for a brief stay for the funeral of her mother in 1981, Queen Sofía would not visit Greece until 1998. In 1969, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco named Juan Carlos his successor under the official title "Prince of Spain". Juan Carlos acceded to
5074-408: The King appearing in the tale as "King Buby". The tale has been adapted into further literary works and movies since then, with the character of King Buby appearing in some. The tradition of Ratoncito Pérez replacing the lost milk teeth with a small payment or gift while the child sleeps is almost universally followed today in Spain and Hispanic America. Alfonso XIII is also mentioned on the plaque that
5192-545: The King before a solemn meeting of the Cortes. An attempted military coup, known as 23-F, occurred on 23 February 1981, when the Cortes were seized by members of the Guardia Civil in the parliamentary chamber . During the coup, the King, wearing his uniform as Captain-General of the Armed Forces, gave a public television broadcast calling for unambiguous support for the legitimate democratic government. The broadcast
5310-580: The King of Spain, not of Belgium") – a reference to King Baudouin of Belgium , who had refused to sign the Belgian law legalising abortion. The King gave his Royal Assent to Law 13/2005 on 1 July 2005; the law legalising same-sex marriage was gazetted in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 2 July, and came into effect on 3 July. According to a poll in the newspaper El Mundo in November 2005, 77.5% of Spaniards thought Juan Carlos
5428-578: The Philippines to the United States as a result of the Spanish–American War . Alfonso became seriously ill during the 1889–1890 pandemic . His health deteriorated around 10 January 1890, and doctors reported his condition as the flu attacked his nervous system leaving the young king in a state of indolence. He eventually recovered. When Alfonso came of age in May 1902, the week of his majority
5546-1061: The Queen of Sheba by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia in 1973 upon her and her husband King Juan Carlos's visit to the capital Addis Ababa. Sofía was appointed to the Grand Cross of The Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles III on 10 May 1962 and to The Royal Order of Queen Maria Luisa on 14 May 1962. The Queen of Spain was appointed to the Collar of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Charles III as dame on 31 October 1983. Since then, Queen Sofía has received different appointments and decorations by more than 40 foreign states. Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII ( Spanish : Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena ; French : Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon ; 17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or
5664-654: The Queen's presence. As Queen, Sofía never publicly commented on political issues. However, in October 2008, Pilar Urbano 's book La Reina muy de cerca ("The Queen up close") sparked strong controversy as it contained alleged statements by the Queen on issues debated in Spanish society. She criticized the military intervention in Afghanistan, where Spanish troops were taking part at the time, defended religious education in schools, and expressed her conviction that gender violence publicity would encourage new cases to occur. She also rejected abortion and euthanasia as well as same-sex marriage . The Royal Household commented that
5782-427: The Spanish dynasty and king; specifically, Title II, Section 57 asserted Juan Carlos's right to the throne of Spain by dynastic succession in the Bourbon tradition, as "the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty" rather than as the designated successor of Franco. The Constitution was passed by the democratically elected Constituent Cortes , ratified by the people in a referendum (6 December) and then signed into law by
5900-408: The Spanish Foundation for Aid for Drug Addicts. Additionally, she has served as the patroness of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute since 2003. Sofía takes special interest in programs against drug addiction, travelling to conferences in both Spain and abroad. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is named after her, as is Reina Sofía Airport in Tenerife . Sofía is an Honorary Member of
6018-449: The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , while the latter was defending his predecessor and political opponent, José María Aznar , after Chávez had referred to Aznar as a fascist and "less human than snakes". The King shortly afterwards left the hall when President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua accused Spain of intervention in his country's elections and complained about some Spanish energy companies working in Nicaragua. This
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#17327655689576136-410: The Spanish diplomatic and military network abroad to intercede for thousands of POWs – transmitting and receiving letters for them, and other services. The office was located in the Royal Palace . Alfonso attempted to save the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family from the Bolsheviks who captured them, sending two telegrams offering the Russian imperial family refuge in Spain. He later learned of
6254-472: The Spanish national church in Rome, immediately below the tombs of Popes Callixtus III and Alexander VI . In January 1980 his remains were transferred to El Escorial in Spain. Alfonso was a promoter of tourism in Spain. The need for the lodging of his wedding guests prompted the construction of the luxurious Hotel Palace in Madrid. He also supported the creation of a network of state-run lodges, Paradores , in historic buildings of Spain. His fondness for
6372-620: The Tetuan official from power, in spite of the fact that the official possessed the support of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs . According to the Jewish Professor Abraham S.E. Yahuda, Alfonso told Yahuda in private conversations that he would issue no policies of discrimination towards Jews, believing all of his Spanish subjects to be entitled to equal rights and protection. Alfonso is occasionally referred to as "the playboy king", due in part to his promotion and collection of Spanish pornographic films, as well as his extramarital affairs. As King, Alfonso commissioned pornographic films through
6490-419: The agreement of marriage. Alfonso and Victoria were married at the Royal Monastery of San Jerónimo in Madrid on 31 May 1906, with British royalty in attendance, including Victoria's cousins the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King George V and Queen Mary ). The wedding was marked by an assassination attempt on Alfonso and Victoria by Catalan anarchist Mateu Morral. As the wedding procession returned to
6608-400: The book "puts in Her Majesty's mouth alleged claims that [...] do not correspond exactly to the opinions expressed by Her Majesty". While the two major parties - Socialists and People's Party - refused to comment, her opinions were subjected to heavy criticism by Republican parties like IU and ERC and LGBT activists. In May 2012, Sofía was reportedly refused permission to attend
6726-415: The celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II by the Spanish government, citing tensions over fishing rights at Gibraltar . In July 2012, Sofía visited the Philippines for a fourth time. She inspected several development projects around the former Spanish colony that her country's government is funding via the Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID). She visited
6844-478: The condition. Alfonso distanced himself from his wife for transmitting the condition to their sons. From 1914 on, he had several mistresses, and fathered five illegitimate children. A sixth illegitimate child had been born before his marriage. During World War I , because of his family connections with both sides and the division of popular opinion, Spain remained neutral. The King established an office for assistance to prisoners of war on all sides. This office used
6962-462: The country's unity. Under the Constitution, the King has immunity from prosecution in matters relating to his official duties. Consequently, he exercised most of his powers through the ministers; his acts as King (and not as a citizen) were not valid unless countersigned by a minister, who became politically responsible for the act in question. As head of the Spanish state, Juan Carlos "held political power, gave his opinion and exerted his influence in
7080-610: The coup attempt — more than six hours after the armed guards invaded Congress — it is still difficult to establish whether he acted out of democratic conviction or because the operation was not going as well as expected, with little support. The reasons for the trial of the coup plotters are still classified. The victory of the PSOE in 1982 under González marked the effective end of the King's active involvement in Spanish politics. González governed for 14 years, longer than any other democratically elected Prime Minister. His administration helped consolidate Spanish democracy and thus maintained
7198-411: The debate focusing on whether labelling the monarch's actions as a military rebellion, lèse-majesté , high treason , or even condemning "a delinquent personality" or "a wholly punishable life". The debate ended with an eloquent speech by Prime Minister Manuel Azaña pleading for the unanimity of the house "to condemn and exclude D. Alfonso de Borbón from the law, proclaiming the majesty of our republic,
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#17327655689577316-415: The defunct Spanish throne in favour of Juan. He died in Rome on 28 February that year following weeks in agony after a first severe attack of angina pectoris . In Spain, dictator Francisco Franco ordered three days of national mourning. The ex-king's funeral was held in Rome in the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri . He was buried in the Church of Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli ,
7434-410: The democratically elected Republican government a war broke out in Spain . On 30 July 1936, Alfonso's son Juan took the initiative of leaving Cannes to go to Spain to join the rebel faction , with the former king (then in a hunting trip in Czechoslovakia ) reportedly giving consent, so Juan de Borbón crossed the border set to join the front in Somosierra dressed in a blue jumpsuit and red beret under
7552-409: The dethroned king likewise accusing in the document the reformist Republic to be " inspired and sponsored by communism, freemasonry and judaism ". In 1933, his two eldest sons, Alfonso and Jaime, renounced their claims to the defunct throne on the same day, and in 1934 his youngest son Gonzalo died. This left his third son Juan his only male heir. After the July 1936 attempted coup d'état against
7670-408: The door knocked Juan Carlos in the arm, causing him to fire the pistol. After learning this news, the Count of Barcelona reportedly grabbed Juan Carlos by the neck and shouted at him angrily, "Swear to me that you didn't do it on purpose!" Two days later, the Count sent his son back to the military academy. Following a later declaration of Juan Carlos's mother, Paul Preston argues that the content of
7788-402: The economic sphere, for example, in the area of company mergers or public policy during the transition period," analyses journalist Ana Pardo . The honour of the royal family is specifically protected from insult by the Spanish Penal Code . Under this protection, Basque independentist Arnaldo Otegi and cartoonists from El Jueves were tried and punished. The King gave an annual speech to
7906-406: The edict. In 2008, Juan Carlos spoke at the opening of a 3-day Saudi-sponsored World Conference on Dialogue interfaith conference at the Royal Palace of El Pardo outside Madrid. The conference was attended by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia , Rabbi David Rosen , and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair . Queen Sof%C3%ADa of Spain King Juan Carlos I Queen Sofía Children of
8024-426: The effects of a flu . Alfonso XIII appointed General Dámaso Berenguer as the new prime minister. Back in 1926, Alfonso XIII had appointed Berenguer as Chief of Staff of the Military House of the King, a post conventionally fit for burned-out generals in order to move them away from the spotlight for a time in a show of affection. The new period was nicknamed as dictablanda . The King was so closely associated with
8142-481: The eldest child of King Paul and his wife, Queen Frederica . Sofía is a member of the Greek branch of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty. Her brother was the deposed King Constantine II and her sister is Princess Irene . As her family was forced into exile during the Second World War , she spent part of her childhood in Egypt , where she took her early education in El Nasr Girls' College in Alexandria , and South Africa, where her sister Irene
8260-418: The face of the King's attempts at democratization. He instead appointed Adolfo Suárez , a former leader of the Movimiento Nacional , as prime minister. Further legitimacy was restored to Juan Carlos's position on 14 May 1977, when his father (whom many monarchists had recognized as the legitimate, exiled King of Spain during the Franco era ) formally renounced his claim to the throne and recognized his son as
8378-456: The fake name "Juan López". However, rebel general Emilio Mola , mastermind behind the putschist plot, was warned of the move and had Juan returned. The former king made it clear he favoured the rebel faction against the Republican government. In September 1936, the general who had emerged as leader of the rebel faction, Francisco Franco , declared that he would not restore Alfonso as king. On 15 January 1941, Alfonso XIII renounced his rights to
8496-688: The former testimony implies that Juan Carlos had pointed the gun at Alfonso, apparently not knowing that the gun was loaded, and pulled the trigger. In 1957, Juan Carlos spent a year in the naval school at Marín, Pontevedra , and another in the Air Force school in San Javier in Murcia . In 1960–61, he studied law, international political economy and public finance at the Complutense University of Madrid . He then went to live in
8614-554: The future Pope Pius XII . Juan Carlos's early life was dictated largely by the political concerns of his father and General Francisco Franco . He moved to Spain in 1948 to be educated there after his father persuaded Franco to allow it. He began his studies in San Sebastián and finished them in 1954 at the Instituto San Isidro in Madrid. He then joined the army, doing his officer training from 1955 to 1957 at
8732-442: The innermost military clique of Alfonso XIII and who wanted to prevent investigations about Annual from tarnishing the monarch (José Cavalcanti, Federico Berenguer, Leopoldo Saro and Antonio Dabán), even if Primo de Rivera had embraced Abandonista positions prior to that point. Primo de Rivera ruled as a dictator with the king's support until January 1930. During the dictatorship, the king increased his public presence, siding with
8850-455: The late Duchess of Badajoz : The Duchess of Soria and Hernani The Duke of Soria and Hernani The Dowager Duchess of Calabria Queen Anne-Marie Marina, consort of Prince Michael Doña Sofía (Sophia Margaret Victoria Frederica of Greece and Denmark, in Greek : Σοφία ; 2 November 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who was Queen of Spain from 1975 to 2014 as
8968-562: The military clique with rewards and merits, his abuse of the power to dissolve the legislature, rendering the co-sovereignty between the Nation and the Crown a total fiction; that he had disproportionately fostered the Armed forces (often to contain internal protest), had used the armed forces abroad with imperialist aims alien to the interests of the nation but his own, that he had personally devised
9086-440: The military estate; he often presented himself as a soldier-king. His effective reign started four years after the Spanish–American War , when various social milieus projected their expectations of national regeneration onto him. Like other European monarchs of his time he played a political role, entailing a controversial use of his constitutional executive powers. His wedding to Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg in 1906
9204-579: The military operation of Annual behind the back of the Council of Ministers, and that following the massacre of Annual that "cost the lives of thousands of Spanish lads", he had decided to launch a coup with the help of a few generals rather than facing scrutiny in the legislature. Other than Romanones, who exculpated the actions of the monarch, disconformity towards the Primo de Rivera dictatorship notwithstanding, no other legislator intervened in his favour, with
9322-662: The nation on Christmas Eve and was, as King, the commander-in-chief of the Spanish armed forces. In October 1990, Juan Carlos visited the Chilean city of Valdivia amidst the beginning of the Chilean transition to democracy . While he and the Queen were cheered by some, groups of indigenous Mapuches approached the king some to protest past colonialism and others to have the King ratify past Mapuche-Spanish treaties. According to El País political infighting between Mapuches prevented Juan Carlos from hosting an official meeting with Mapuche representatives. In July 2000, Juan Carlos
9440-436: The palace, he threw a bomb from a window which killed 30 bystanders and members of the procession, while 100 others were wounded. On 10 May 1907, the couple's first child, Alfonso, Prince of Asturias , was born. Victoria was in fact a haemophilia carrier, and Alfonso inherited the condition. Neither of the two daughters born to the King and Queen were haemophilia carriers, but another of their sons, Gonzalo (1914–1934), had
9558-410: The political failure of the dictatorship, Alfonso XIII removed support from Primo de Rivera (who was thereby forced to resign in 1930) and favoured (during the so-called dictablanda ) an attempted return to the pre-1923 state of affairs. Nevertheless, he had lost most of his political capital along the way. He left Spain voluntarily after the municipal elections of April 1931 – which was understood as
9676-635: The president for promoting the Spanish language in the Philippine educational system. Following her husband's abdication as King in 2014, Sofía has focused on her sponsoring activities, spending her time between La Zarzuela and, in the summer months, the Marivent Palace in Palma de Mallorca . She regularly accompanies her son and his family at events. Queen Sophia was awarded the Order of
9794-454: The rebels ultimately winning. Franco's authoritarian government remained dominant in Spain until the 1960s. With Franco's increasing age, left-wing protests increased, while at the same time, the far right factions demanded the return of a hardline absolute monarchy . At the time, the heir to the throne of Spain was Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, the son of King Alfonso XIII. However, Franco viewed him with extreme suspicion, believing him to be
9912-573: The sincerity of the King's defense of democracy. The King had close ties with the leader of the rebellion, who had served him as Secretary General of the Royal Household. Above all, Juan Carlos and the main political parties were aware of a plan to put General Alfonso Armada in charge of the government, particularly in order to crack down on the Basque independence organization Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA). Although Juan Carlos strongly condemned
10030-573: The sole head of the Spanish Royal House, transferring to him the historical heritage of the Spanish monarchy, thus making Juan Carlos both de facto and de jure king in the eyes of the traditional monarchists. On 20 May 1977, the leader of the only recently legalized Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Felipe González , accompanied by Javier Solana , visited Juan Carlos in the Zarzuela Palace. The event represented
10148-465: The south of France at the time, was informed of the "Disaster of the Annual" while he was playing golf . Reportedly, Alfonso's response to the news was to shrug his shoulders and say "Chicken meat is cheap", before resuming his game. Alfonso remained in France and did not return to Spain to comfort the families of the soldiers lost in the battle, which many people at the time saw as a callous and cold act,
10266-594: The sport of football led to the patronage of several "royal" ("real" in Spanish) football clubs, the first being Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña in 1907. Selected others include Real Madrid , Real Sociedad , Real Betis , Real Unión , Espanyol , Real Zaragoza and Real Racing Club . An avenue in the northern Madrid neighbourhood of Chamartín, Avenida de Alfonso XIII, is named after him. A plaza or town centre in Iloilo City , Philippines (now Plaza Libertad)
10384-514: The stability of the nation. On paper, Juan Carlos retained fairly extensive reserve powers . He was the guardian of the Constitution and was responsible for ensuring that it was obeyed. In practice, since the passage of the Constitution (and especially since 1982), he took a mostly non-partisan and representative role, acting almost entirely on the advice of the government. However, he commanded great moral authority as an essential symbol of
10502-577: The summer of 1974. In November the following year, Franco died and Juan Carlos became king. Juan Carlos was expected to continue Franco's legacy, but instead introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and to begin the Spanish transition to democracy soon after his accession. This led to the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum which re-established a constitutional monarchy . In 1981, Juan Carlos played
10620-618: The sustainment of the monarchy. Alfonso XIII fled the country and the Second Spanish Republic was peacefully proclaimed on 14 April 1931. In November 1931, the Constituent Republican Cortes held an impassionate debate about the political responsibilities of the former monarch. Some of the grievances against the action of Alfonso XIII as a king included interference in the institutions to reinforce his personal power, bargaining personal support from
10738-444: The throne in 1975, upon the Franco's death. Juan Carlos, after his accession to the Spanish throne, returned with his family to the Zarzuela Palace. The couple has three children: Elena (born 20 December 1963); Cristina (born 13 June 1965); and Felipe (born 30 January 1968). Besides accompanying her husband on official visits and occasions, Sofía also has solo engagements. In her first public appearance as Queen, Sofía attended
10856-408: The time, showing full nudity and sex scenes. These films featured content considered immoral and degenerate, including sexual relationships involving Catholic priests, lesbianism, and "women with enormous breasts" (the last of which is said to have been Alfonso's passion). Most of these films were later destroyed during Franco's regime . This has led some to speculate that Alfonso may have possessed
10974-524: The unbreakable will of our civism and the permanence of the Spanish glories framed by the institutions freely given by the Nation". The house passed the act brought forward by the Commission of Responsibilities, summarizing Alfonso de Borbón's responsibilities as being guilty of high treason. Involved in anti-Republican plots from his exile, and keen to draw support from the Carlists in the context of
11092-564: The uneasy and competing relations between the Carlist and Alfonsist factions within the radicalised monarchist camp, in the aftermath of so-called Pact of Territet he issued a statement dated 23 January 1932 endorsing the manifesto launched by Carlist claimant Alfonso Carlos (in which the latter hinted at the cession of dynastic rights should the former king accept "those fundamental principles which in our traditional regime have been demanded of all Kings with precedence of personal rights"), with
11210-512: The wife of King Juan Carlos I until his abdication . She is the eldest child of King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederica . Sofía married then Infante Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962 and became queen of Spain upon her husband's accession in 1975. On 19 June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of their son Felipe VI . Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born on 2 November 1938, at Tatoi Palace in Acharnes , Athens, Greece,
11328-571: The world, while flu outbreaks in the belligerent countries were concealed. This gave the misleading impression that Spain was the most affected area and led to the pandemic being dubbed "the Spanish Flu". Following World War I, Spain entered the lengthy yet victorious Rif War (1920–1926) to preserve its colonial rule over northern Morocco. Critics of the monarchy thought the war was an unforgivable loss of money and lives, and nicknamed Alfonso el Africano ("the African"). Alfonso had not acted as
11446-483: The world. Queen Sofía has travelled to Bangladesh , Chile , Colombia , El Salvador and Mexico to support the activities of the organization. Queen Sofía has also been a strong supporter of Somaly Mam 's Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire , an NGO combatting child prostitution and slavery in Cambodia. In 1998, Mam was awarded the prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in
11564-468: The young prince could be groomed to take over the nation while still maintaining the ultraconservative and authoritarian nature of his regime. In 1969, Juan Carlos was officially designated heir-apparent and was given the new title of Prince of Spain (not the traditional Prince of Asturias ). As a condition of being named heir-apparent, he was required to swear loyalty to Franco's Movimiento Nacional , which he did with little outward hesitation. His choice
11682-511: Was Manuel Fernández Silvestre . In 1921, when Silvestre advanced up into the Rif mountains of Morocco, Alfonso sent him a telegram whose first line read "Hurrah for real men!", urging Silvestre not to retreat at a time when Silvestre was experiencing major difficulties. Silvestre stayed the course, leading his men into the Battle of Annual , one of Spain's worst defeats. Alfonso, who was on holiday in
11800-761: Was "good or very good", 15.4% "not so good", and only 7.1% "bad or very bad". Even so, the issue of the monarchy re-emerged on 28 September 2007 as photos of the king were burnt in public in Catalonia by small groups of protesters wanting the restoration of the Republic. In November 2007, at the Ibero-American Summit in Santiago , during a heated exchange, Juan Carlos interrupted Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez , saying, " ¿Por qué no te callas? " ("Why don't you shut up?"). Chávez had been interrupting
11918-513: Was a Protestant , and would have to become a Catholic. Victoria's brother, Leopold , was a haemophiliac , so there was a 50 percent chance that Victoria was a carrier of the trait. Finally, Alfonso's mother Maria Christina wanted him to marry a member of her family, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine , or some other Catholic princess, as she considered the Battenbergs to be non-dynastic. Victoria
12036-578: Was a modification by choice of Franco. He was always known in his familiar circle simply as "Juan" or "Juanito". On the evening of Holy Thursday , 29 March 1956, Infante Alfonso died in a gun accident at the family's home Villa Giralda in Estoril , on the Portuguese Riviera . The Spanish Embassy in Portugal then issued the following official communiqué: Whilst His Highness Prince Alfonso
12154-524: Was an unprecedented diplomatic incident and a rare display of public anger by the King. Juan Carlos detailed for the first time in 2011 the yearly royal budget of €8.3 million, excluding expenses such as the electricity bill, paid by the State. In April 2012, Juan Carlos faced criticism for an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana . The public found out about the trip only after the King injured himself and
12272-486: Was at 23% and nearly 50% for young workers. El País estimated the total cost of a hunting trip at €44,000, about twice the average annual salary in Spain. A petition called for the king to resign from his position as honorary president of the Spanish branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature . The WWF itself responded by asking for an interview with the King to resolve the situation. In July 2012, WWF Spain held
12390-518: Was baptised with water specially brought from the River Jordan in Palestine. The French newspaper Le Figaro described the young king in 1889 as "the happiest and best-loved of all the rulers of the earth". His mother, Maria Christina of Austria , served as his regent until his sixteenth birthday. During the regency, in 1898, Spain lost its colonial rule over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and
12508-427: Was born to Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona , and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in their family home in Rome , where his grandfather King Alfonso XIII and other members of the Spanish royal family lived in exile following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. He was baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli,
12626-543: Was born. They returned to Greece in 1946. She finished her education at the prestigious Schloss Salem boarding school in Southern Germany, and then studied childcare, music and archeology in Athens . She also studied at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge , a constituent college of the University of Cambridge . She was a reserve member, alongside her brother Constantine, of Greece's gold medal-winning sailing team in
12744-565: Was cleaning a revolver last evening with his brother, a shot was fired hitting his forehead and killing him in a few minutes. The accident took place at 20.30 hours, after the Infante's return from the Maundy Thursday religious service, during which he had received holy communion . Alfonso had won a local junior golf tournament earlier in the day, then went to evening Mass and rushed up to the room to see Juan Carlos who had come home for
12862-476: Was in Juan Carlos's company. However, as the years progressed, Juan Carlos began meeting secretly with political opposition leaders and exiles, who were fighting to bring liberal reform to the country. He also had secret conversations with his father over the telephone. Franco, for his part, remained largely oblivious to the prince's actions and denied allegations from his ministers and advisors that Juan Carlos
12980-421: Was in any way disloyal to his vision of the regime. During periods of Franco's temporary incapacity in 1974 and 1975, Juan Carlos was acting head of state . On 30 October 1975, Franco gave full control to Juan Carlos. According to declassified CIA reports, during this time Juan Carlos secretly acquiesced and arranged with King Hassan II of Morocco the terms of the so-called Green March , the partial invasion of
13098-410: Was loaded. Bernardo Arnoso, a Portuguese friend of Juan Carlos, also said that Juan Carlos had told him he had fired the pistol not knowing that it was loaded, and adding that the bullet ricocheted off a wall, hitting Alfonso in the face. Helena Matheopoulos , a Greek author who spoke with the infantes' sister Pilar, said that Alfonso had been out of the room and when he returned and pushed the door open,
13216-522: Was looking for a suitable consort. On a state visit to the United Kingdom , he stayed in London at Buckingham Palace with King Edward VII . There he met Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg , the daughter of Edward's youngest sister Princess Beatrice , and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria . He found her attractive, and she returned his interest. There were obstacles to the marriage. Victoria
13334-548: Was marked by festivities, bullfights, balls and receptions throughout Spain. He took his oath to the constitution before members of the Cortes on 17 May. Alfonso received, to a large extent, a military education that imbued him with "a Spanish nationalism strengthened by his military vocation". Besides the clique of military tutors, Alfonso also received political teachings from a liberal, Vicente Santamaría de Paredes [ es ] , and moral precepts from an integrist , José Fernández de la Montaña . By 1905, Alfonso
13452-413: Was marred by an attempt at regicide ; he was unharmed. With public opinion divided over World War I , and moreover a split between pro-German and pro-Entente sympathizers, Alfonso XIII used his relations with other European royal families to help preserve a stance of neutrality, as espoused by his government. However, several factors weakened the monarch's constitutional legitimacy: the rupture of
13570-589: Was named in his honour called Plaza Alfonso XIII. A street in Merthyr Tydfil , in Wales , was built especially to house Spanish immigrants in the mining industry and named Alphonso Street after Alfonso XIII. Ratoncito Pérez first appeared as the Spanish equivalent to the Tooth Fairy in a 1894 tale written by Luis Coloma for King Alfonso XIII, who had just lost a milk tooth at the age of eight, with
13688-552: Was ratified by the Spanish parliament on 22 July 1969. Juan Carlos met and consulted Franco many times while heir apparent and often took part in official and ceremonial state functions, standing alongside the dictator, much to the anger of hardline republicans and more moderate liberals, who hoped that Franco's death would bring in an era of reform. During 1969–1975, Juan Carlos publicly supported Franco's regime. Although Franco's health worsened during those years, whenever he did appear in public, from state dinners to military parades, it
13806-478: Was the target of an enraged protester when former priest Juan María Fernández y Krohn , who had once attacked Pope John Paul II , breached security and attempted to approach the king. When the media asked Juan Carlos in 2005 whether he would endorse the bill legalising same-sex marriage that was then being debated in the Cortes Generales , he answered "Soy el Rey de España y no el de Bélgica" ("I am
13924-551: Was willing to change her religion, and her being a haemophilia carrier was only a possibility. Maria Christina was eventually persuaded to drop her opposition. In January 1906 she wrote an official letter to Princess Beatrice proposing the match. Victoria met Maria Christina and Alfonso in Biarritz , France, later that month, and converted to Catholicism in San Sebastián in March. In May, diplomats of both kingdoms officially executed
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