Juan Carlos I de Bourbon

Family history

1700: The Accession of the French Bourbons in Spain

The French dynasty Spain in began with the reign of Philip V in 1700. The previous king, Charles II of Habsburg, was childless and bequeathed the throne to Philip, who was his great-nephew. But he was also a native grandson of the then king France Louis XIV. The Austrian Habsburgs, fearing increased influence on the Paris continent, began the so-called War of the Spanish Succession. After 13 years of battles, the war ended in a compromise: Philip was recognized by the Habsburgs as the legitimate king of Spain, but renounced the rights to the French crown.

1808: Napoleon deceives and overthrows Charles IV

For the first time, the reign of the Spanish Bourbons was interrupted in 1808: Napoleon promised the Spanish king Charles IV the southern part of Portugal. To capture the latter, France brought its troops into Spanish territory, which caused discontent among local residents and mass uprisings. Napoleon occupied Spain, forced the monarch and heir to abdicate, and installed his elder brother Joseph as the new king. After the expulsion of the French from the country in 1813, the Bourbon dynasty in Madrid was continued by the son of Charles Ferdinand VII.

1868: Military coup

Half a century later, in 1868, the Bourbon dynasty was overthrown again, this time in a military coup.

1931: Overthrow of the King, Proclamation of the Republic

In April 1931, the Spanish Bourbons again lost power. The year before, Miguel Primo de Rivera, actually a military dictator under the patronage of King Alphonse XIII, resigned as prime minister. The weak position of the monarch was undermined, which allowed the left and republican opposition to win municipal elections throughout the country on April 12, 1931. After several days of rallies and protests, the king left Spain, the country was proclaimed a republic.

The chance to restore the dynasty appeared after five years: in 1936 the army and the conservative opposition rebelled against the republic, which three years later was crowned with success. But the new Spanish leader Francisco Franco, who came to power with the support of Nazi Germany, rejected the idea of ​ ​ returning the throne to Alfonso XIII: many "Carlists," supporters of another dynastic branch of the Spanish Bourbons, fought in the ranks of his army. But after the end of World War II, he and the leadership of the country as a whole, mainly monarchists, began to prepare the ground for the restoration of royal rule.

Biography

1938: Birth in Rome in exile

Juan Carlos was born in Rome on January 5, 1938 in the family of the heir to the Spanish throne - Don Juan Carlos, Count of Barcelona. In Italy, his family lived in exile. He was baptized by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who was elected Pope Pius XII the following year.

Juan Carlos grew up in Italy and Portugal.

Juan Carlos (pictured second from left)

1948: Franco invites Juan Carlos to play King of Spain

At the referendum held in July 1947, 95% of Spaniards supported the return of the monarchy, Franco himself remained a life regent. The bill put to the referendum did not include the name of the person who would be the successor to the Spanish leader and the new king. The legitimate contender for the throne was the son of Alphonse XIII Juan de Bourbon, an implacable opponent of the Francoist regime. The Count of Barcelona, the main pretender to the throne, was previously Franco's enemy and was involved in a conspiracy against him. Therefore, his son, Juan Carlos, was chosen for the role of the new monarch.

It was important for Franco to prepare a worthy successor for himself, so already in 1948 he invited Juan Carlos to return to where Spain he began his studies at the military academy in Zaragoza. He studied maritime science in the Galician city of Marin, in 1958 he entered the Air Force school Spain in the city of San Javier, and then studied at the prestigious Complutense University.

1956: Suspicions of the murder of a younger brother

In 1956, the 14-year-old younger brother of Juan Carlos, Alfonso, died. Presumably, he accidentally shot himself with a revolver while cleaning it, but the Spanish media wrote that the weapon could be in the hands of Juan Carlos.

In 1961, Juan Carlos graduated from Complutense University of Madrid, where he studied political science, international law and economics, moved to the Zarzuela Palace and began to take part in official events.

1962: Marriage to Sophia of Greece

On May 14, 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece, the eldest daughter of King Paul I of Greece. The wedding took place in Athens.

On January 30, 1968, the future king of Spain, the third child of King of Spain Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, was born.

1969: Official declaration as heir to the throne

Juan Carlos was officially declared heir to the throne only in 1969, which caused indignation of his father, Juan de Bourbon.

At first, Juan Carlos played the role of an obedient student: he took the oath of allegiance to the "National Movement" (successor to Franco's Falangist Party) and publicly expressed support for the Francoist regime.

1972: Participation in the Olympics

In 1972, 34-year-old Juan Carlos took part in the Olympic Games in Munich. As part of the Spanish crew, he took 15th place in sailing competitions (three-seater boats). One of his rivals was the Norwegian Crown Prince (future King of Norway) Harald, who performed more successfully and took 10th place with his crew.

1975: Proclamation as King of Spain

In July 1974, the elderly and seriously ill Franco, remaining the formal leader of the country, appointed Juan Carlos as acting head of state. After Franco's death in November 1975. the Spanish parliament approved the restoration of the monarchy and proclaimed Juan Carlos the new king. The beginning of the reign of King Juan Carlos in November 1975 marked the fourth accession of the Bourbon dynasty in the country in 300 years.

Already in the first months of his reign, he began preparations for a large-scale political reform and the dismantling of the Francoist^[1] regime^[1].

1976: Suárez's appointment as Prime Minister

In July 1976, an experienced politician, former Phalanx supporter Adolfo Suarez, became the new prime minister, who was to legally formalize the transition to democracy.

The main document along this path was the Political Reform Act of September 1976, which opened the way for the transformation of the state system.

1977: First democratic parliamentary election

In the spring of 1977, Spain lifted the ban on the activities of opposition parties, the first democratic parliamentary elections were held in the summer, and in the fall the unitary territorial structure was replaced by a federal one (autonomies of Catalonia and the Basque Country were created). By the end of 1978, a national referendum supported the draft democratic constitution of the country, according to which early parliamentary elections were held in March 1979.

In fact, Juan Carlos implemented his father's proposals for the gradual democratization of Spain. Reforms of the late 1970s allowed Juan de Bourbon to reconcile with his son and recognize him as the legitimate ruler of the country. Count Juan of Barcelona died in 1978. After that, European dynasties, which considered him the rightful heir to the Spanish throne, finally recognized Juan Carlos as king.

But the growing rejection of the policy of the new monarch was caused among nationalists and the military, who hoped for the continuation of Franco's course.

1981: Military coup crackdown and retreat from politics

In February 1981, an attempted military coup took place: officers from right-wing radical organizations entered the parliament building and captured deputies and members of the government, demanding the appointment of a representative of the general as prime minister. But instead of the expected silent consent of the king, the putschists faced his sharp opposition. By the morning of the next day, the demoralized rebels surrendered to the authorities.

The failure of the rebellion and the king's active support for democratic forces strengthened the authority of Juan Carlos, including among the adherents of the left and republican ideas.

After that, the leader of the Spanish communists Santiago Carrillo, who six years before called the king "Juan Carlos Short-lived," exclaimed in front of the television cameras in excess of feelings: "God save the king!"

Considering his mission to democratize the country completed, shortly after the coup attempt, the monarch left active political activity. Contributed to this decision and the success of the Social Democrats in the parliamentary elections in 1982.

After that, the role of Juan Carlos in Spanish politics does not formally differ from the position of other constitutional monarchs: the nominal functions of the head of state, the position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the moral authority of the patron saint of the people and the state.

2005: Legalisation of same-sex marriage

In June 2005, His Majesty Juan Carlos, despite the fierce opposition of the Roman Catholic Church and personally Pontiff Benedict XVI, signed the Law legalizing same-sex marriage throughout Spain, stating "that he will fulfill the will of the Spanish people, approved by the Cortes, despite whose protests."

2007: A skirmish with Chavez

Nevertheless, the Spanish king - a former military man and unifier of the nation - could not be content with only ceremonial functions. The incident at the Ibero-American Summit in Chile in November 2007 was widely known. During his speech at the forum, Spanish Prime Minister José Louis Zapatero was attacked by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Wanting to pacify him, Juan Carlos turned to Chavez: "Why don't you shut up?"^[1].

Juan Carlos I and the President, Russia Dmitry Medvedev St. Petersburg February 24, 2011

2012

Elephant safari in Botswana

Serious scandals in the royal family began in 2012. In April, Juan Carlos was criticized for conducting a safari in Botswana. The elephant hunt, which, according to El Pais, cost about 44 thousand euros, caused irritation in Spain, which was affected by the economic crisis.

The photo shows an action near St. Jose Hospital in Madrid, where the monarch underwent surgery: after falling on a staircase in Botswana, Juan Carlos broke his hip neck.

Criminal case against daughter

In 2012, a criminal investigation also began against the king's daughter, Infanta Christina, and her husband, handball player Iñaka Urdangarin. A married couple is accused of corruption and embezzlement of state property. Officially, charges of tax evasion and money laundering were brought against Christina in January 2014.

After the corruption scandal surrounding Infanta Christina and her husband, Juan Carlos was forced to publish his income declaration for the first time. According to the results of 2011 his salary amounted to 292.8 thousand euros, from which he paid a tax of 40%. The officially established income of Prince Felipe was exactly half that - 146.4 thousand euros^[1].

Getting the insignia from Russian President Vladimir Putin

In July 2012, the President Russia Vladimir Putin presented Juan Carlos with a diploma and a badge State of the Russian Prize winner.

Transfer to the mistress of the Dane 65 million euros, request to return them, conflict and court

The Financial Times wrote that the reason for the dispute between Juan Carlos and his mistress, Danish Corinna Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, was 65 million euros, which Juan Carlos I allegedly transferred to a woman in 2012 "out of gratitude and love." However, Carlos I later asked for a refund of this money. According to her mistress, after she refused, the abdicated king accused her of stealing funds and slandered her family and business partners.

According to the Danish, she ended her love relationship with King Juan back in 2009, accusing him of spreading false information about her. She also claimed that the king threatened her and organized the surveillance of the Spanish intelligence service. As a result, the former mistress demands compensation for the damage caused to her.

Later in December 2022, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales only partially satisfied the appeal of the Honorary King of Spain, 84-year-old Juan Carlos I. According to TASS, Judge Ingrid Simler ruled that the High Court of London had previously decided that Juan Carlos I could not take advantage of his immunity monarch, the lawsuit will be given a go. Judge Simler ruled, however, that Juan Carlos could not stand trial for acts committed before abdication in 2014. He can only find himself in court on the basis of cases of offenses committed after 2014.

The fall of authority in Spain

Against the backdrop of a series of scandals, the king's authority began to fall. According to a survey by the SigmaDos agency published in the El Mundo newspaper, in 2005 78% Spaniards considered Juan Carlos "a good or very good monarch," in 2012 this opinion was held by 76%, and in January 2014 - only 41%. At the same time, 62% of the subjects of the Spanish crown then wanted the abdication of the king of^[1].

2014: Abdication in favour of Felipe's son

On June 2, 2014, in his video message, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the impending abdication of King Juan Carlos. According to him, after the adoption of the relevant legal procedures, Cortesa (Spanish parliament) should proclaim the heir to the throne as the new king.

The Prince of Asturias, the son of the Spanish monarch, received the throne name Felipe VI. Later, the king himself confirmed his intention to renounce in a televised address to the nation. Thus, the 39-year era of the reign of Juan Carlos came to an end. The consistently high support of the Spaniards for their king over the past two years has been jeopardized by a series of scandals. The arrival of the popular Felipe, who was little hurt by these stories, looks like a desire to strengthen the prestige of the Spanish monarchy^[1].

Hobbies

One of Juan Carlos's hobbies is amateur radio. In addition, the monarch's addiction to riding a motorcycle alone gave rise to "urban legends": drivers claimed to have seen the king on the roads in different parts of the country.

Photo: AFP

In football, preferences within the monarch's house are divided. King Juan Carlos is a longtime fan of the Real Madrid club, with his son and heir Felipe backing Atletico Madrid

Photo: AFP

Family

Juan Carlos with his family (1970s)

Juan Carlos with his daughter Infanta Cristina.

In 1988, in Seoul, the daughter of Juan Carlos Infanta Christina, as well as her father, participated in the Olympic Games in sailing sport and took 20th place in one of the classes. The heir to the throne Felipe performed more successfully in 1992 in Barcelona, ​ ​ who took sixth place in the Soling class. But the son-in-law of Juan Carlos Iñaki Urdangarin, being a professional handball player, won 2 bronze Olympic medals (1996 and 2000). The brother-in-law of Juan Carlos (brother of his wife Sofia of Greece), the future King of Greece Constantine II, was the 1960 Olympic champion in sailing in the Dragon class, while Princess Sofia was a substitute in the same crew.

See also

• Spain
• Economy of Spain

Notes