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73-591: It is named after former king Juan Carlos I of Spain and has the Latin motto Non nova, sed nove ("Not new things, but in a new way"). It was established in 1996 by the government of the Community of Madrid . With 44.916 students, it is the second-biggest public university in the Community of Madrid, behind the historical Universidad Complutense . URJC is one of eight universities in the Community of Madrid, and it

146-846: 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

219-1070: A foundation whose headquarters are on Madrid's Plaza de Manuel Becerra. The URJC is divided into four campuses. Each campus is composed of one or more schools: Each school or college is governed by a Dean or School Director, and is divided into academic departments. Studies include computer science , telecommunications engineering , chemical engineering , environmental science , odontology , medicine , nursing , physiotherapy , audiovisual communication , telecommunications , tourism , journalism , law , economics , applied economics including Austrian economics , business administration and management , sociology , history , accounting and finance , marketing , food science and technology , biology , psychology , preschool education , international relations , visual arts and dance , and criminology , among others. In 2007 Juan Velarde Fuertes, Iñaki Gabilondo , Luis del Olmo and Antonio Mingote were awarded honorary doctorates from King Juan Carlos University. In January 2008, Bernardo Kliksberg became

292-556: 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

365-463: 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

438-544: 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

511-404: 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

584-524: 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

657-457: 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

730-652: 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

803-498: 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

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876-464: 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 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

949-467: 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

1022-490: 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

1095-810: Is the second-newest university in the autonomous community . King Juan Carlos University offers a range of degrees, all adapted to the European Higher Education Area . This includes 64 undergraduate degrees, 44 dual degrees, 6 English-medium degrees, 6 university degrees on-line, 18 diplomas, and 8 engineering degrees, as well as a wide range of official master's (81) and doctoral programs involving both degrees and training (34) in health sciences, experimental sciences and technology, communication sciences, and law and social sciences. King Juan Carlos University has five campuses in Madrid , Fuenlabrada , Móstoles , Aranjuez and Vicálvaro , as well as

1168-743: 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

1241-649: 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

1314-476: 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)

1387-803: 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

1460-659: 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 the summer of 1974. In November

1533-604: 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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1606-779: 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

1679-518: The 2003 Japan Prize in Science and Technology, was awarded an honorary doctorate from King Juan Carlos University. Prof. Yorke is known worldwide for the definition of the mathematical term " chaos " in 1975. Rodrigo Rato , former managing director of the IMF and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, previously held an honorary doctorate from King Juan Carlos University, which was not immediately canceled when he

1752-619: 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

1825-457: 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

1898-507: 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

1971-660: 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

2044-638: 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

2117-821: 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

2190-484: 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

2263-615: 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

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2336-582: 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

2409-460: 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

2482-545: 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

2555-523: 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

2628-662: 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

2701-464: 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

2774-472: 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

2847-532: 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

2920-816: 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

2993-472: 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

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3066-461: The first foreigner to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the university along with Jaime Gil Aluja, José Antonio Pastor Ridruejo and Fernando Sánchez Calero. In 2011, honorary doctorates were awarded to Harald zur Hausen , Ramón Tamames and Peter Waldmann. In 2014 James A. Yorke , distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Maryland and recipient of

3139-545: 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

3212-690: 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

3285-555: 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

3358-455: 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

3431-542: 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 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

3504-663: 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

3577-601: The partial invasion of 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

3650-410: 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

3723-456: 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

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3796-456: 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

3869-438: 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

3942-453: 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

4015-436: 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 the General Military Academy at Zaragoza . Later, he attended

4088-444: 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

4161-457: 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,

4234-531: The will of the people, and in so doing referred to 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

4307-427: 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

4380-471: 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

4453-523: 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

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4526-403: 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

4599-423: 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

4672-426: 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

4745-427: 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,

4818-424: 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

4891-445: 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

4964-416: 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

5037-399: 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 ,

5110-479: Was later sentenced to 4½ years' imprisonment for bank fraud in his role as chairman of bank Bankia . Juan Carlos I of Spain 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)

5183-411: 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,

5256-553: 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

5329-479: 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

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