Juan Carlos de Borbón, King of Spain since 1975, has announced his decision to abdicate after 39 years as King. In Overstory we are now talking about the Biography of Juan Carlos Borbón.
Biography of Juan Carlos Borbon
Juan Carlos de Borbón was born in born in Rome, on January 5, 1938 this being the first male child they had Juan de Borbón y Battenberg and Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón y Orleáns. The future monarch became heir to the Spanish Royal House, when his grandfather, Alfonso XIII, abdicated his father when he was three years old.
Juan Carlos’s childhood takes place in Italy, Switzerland and Estoril (Portugal), where the Counts of Barcelona established their residence in 1946, and it is not until November 9, 1948 that he sets foot in Spain for the first time and after deciding to live in our country away from his family.
In 1954 he finished high school at the San Isidro Institute in Madrid and the following year he began his military training at the General Military Academy of Zaragoza, where on December 15 of the same year he swore to the flag.
The future King of Spain has a military training that begins in the Military School of Marín (1957-1958) and later on to the General Air Academy, in San Javier (1958-1959). It was in December 1959 that he received the dispatches of Infantry Lieutenant, Fragata Lieutenant and Aviation Lieutenant.
Of 1960 to 1961 is formed through a monographic study program of Law, Economics, Politics and Philosophy, simultaneous between the University of Madrid and the “María Cristina” of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
In 1962 comes the most important moment in his personal life since on May 14 he marries in Athens with who at that time is Princess Sofia., eldest daughter of King Paul of Greece. Three children are born from the marriage. the infantas Elena (1963) and Cristina (1965) and Don Felipe, born in 1968, who since 1977 has been Prince of Asturias and heir apparent.
The July 22, 1969at the proposal of the general Frank, is appointed by the Spanish Courts successor in the Head of State, under the title of King. The next day he took the oath and received the title of Prince of Spain. Once this title is achieved, he is promoted, by decree, to be appointed Brigadier General of the Army of the Land and Air, and Rear Admiral of the Navy, attributing to him the honors of Captain General. Since then, he has occupied the position next to the head of state in all official acts.
On November 22, 1975, he was proclaimed King and delivered his first message to the nation before the Cortes, in which he expressed his desire to be “king of all Spaniards.”
Five days later, in a religious ceremony held in the church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid, the so-called “exaltation” to the throne of Spain took place, with the name of Juan Carlos I.
The Reign of Don Juan Carlos de Borbón
The figure of the King of Spain, somewhat reviled in recent years, marks at the beginning of his reign the step that Spain could become a democracy. Process that began with the Political Reform Law of 1976. Another outstanding moment was the approval by referendum of the Constitution on December 6, 1978, sanctioned by the King on the 27th of that month.
On May 14, 1977, Don Juan, Count of Barcelona, head of the Spanish Royal House, officially renounced all his dynastic rights, in favor of his son, Don Juan Carlos.
One of the defining moments at the beginning of his reign was the coup attempt on February 23, 1981, which placed him in the international spotlightstanding out as a key figure so that the coup was not carried out.
On November 22, 2005, Don Juan Carlos celebrates 30 years as Head of State, period in which he has spearheaded “a new stage in the history of Spain”, fulfilling the wish he expressed during his proclamation.
On the occasion of his 70th birthday, on January 9, 2008, a dinner was held in his honor, with the assistance of the highest State authorities, in which the King thanked all of them for their contribution to maintaining “the course of the Corona” and having achieved “a united and diverse, modern and plural, prosperous and supportive Spain”.
More than prominent and popular figure in our country, Juan Carlos de Borbón He has visited all of Spain on several occasions, but he has also been “king outside our country” since he attached great importance to the Iberoamerican Relations, with its attendance at all the Ibero-American Summits held since 1991, and has always recalled Spain’s European vocation, encouraging its integration process in Europe.
As supreme head of the Armed Forces, he has met once a year with the three Armies on the Military Easter holiday and on October 10, 2007, he presided over the constitution of the National Defense Council, in its first meeting held in the palace of the Zarzuela
In addition, it exercises high patronage of the Royal Academies and maintains an assiduous relationship with cultural spheres and in particular with the University; he is honorary president of the Cervantes Institute Board of Trustees.
He has been awarded an honorary doctorate by some thirty prestigious Spanish and foreign universities. He also personally supports the creation and development of new technologies.
He is also recognized for international relations and for his role in the restoration of democracy in Spain, being awarded international prizes, such as the Charlemagne Prize (1982), the National Prize for Humanism and Democracy (1983) or the Prize for Coexistence «Professor Manuel Broseta» (1997).
It also has several distinctions among them, the Gold Medals of the Congress, the Senate and the Council of State, as well as all the Autonomous Communities. In 1989 he was awarded the Gold Cross of the Civil Guard.
It also has numerous foreign titles and decorations, such as the Grand Cross of the Order of Malta or Knight of the Order of the Garter, awarded by the Queen of England. In 1987 the United Nations awarded him the Nausen Medal for his support of refugees and in January 1988 he received the Council of Europe Medal.
In recent years, between 2010 and 2012 He has been operated on nine times. His health problems are due to age but also to injuries related to sports practice. Due to his special relevance, the interventions he underwent in May 2010, to remove a pulmonary nodule, and in April 2012, for a hip fracture, stand out. The latter coincided with a critical moment in the Spanish economic crisis and after a pleasure trip to Botswana for which he had to apologize after an image from years ago was released in which he posed next to a dead elephant.
Abdication of King Juan Carlos of Bourbon
On June 2, 2014, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, announced to the press the abdication of the King.
“His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his decision to abdicate,” Rajoy said. “I hope that in a very short time, the Spanish Courts can proceed to the appointment as King of what is today the Prince of Asturias”added the president.
“He was a tireless defender of our interests,” declared Rajoy, who also explained that the abdication will take place “in a context of institutional stability and as proof of the maturity of our democracy.”
Videos of the announcement of the abdication of King Juan Carlos I: