Enough is enough — scandal-hit Juan Carlos gives Spain what it wants
He was the monarch credited with steering Spain through its transition to democracy on the death of Franco, and a key figure in averting a military coup in 1981.
But after a series of scandals tainted his rule, King Juan Carlos decided enough was enough.
After almost 40 years on the throne, the 76-year-old monarch has announced his intention to abdicate in favour of his son, Crown Prince Felipe in an attempt to revive the fortunes of the royal family.
“Today, a younger generation deserves to step into the front line, with new energies,” the King said in a televised address from the Zarzuela Palace. “For all these reasons . . . I have decided to end my reign and abdicate the crown of Spain.”
His 46-year-old son and heir is likely to be crowned this month as Felipe VI.
“The Prince of Asturias has the maturity, the readiness and the sense of responsibility needed to take on the leadership of the state and open a new phase of hope,” Juan Carlos said.
Untainted by the recent scandals, Prince Felipe, the youngest of the King’s three children, promises to reinvigorate the monarchy. His popularity rating has risen at the expense of his father — 66.4 per cent compared with the king’s 41 per cent — and a poll this year showed two-thirds of Spaniards thought the monarch should abdicate in favour of his son.
The Prince, who has represented Spain in Olympic sailing events, has increasingly stood in for his father at events and is seen as a down-to-earth, educated man who understands the professionalism required from a modern monarch.
Once considered Europe’s most eligible bachelor, the almost 2m tall prince has been well-schooled to take over as head of state by serving in three branches of the armed forces before finishing his studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
After a dalliance with a former lingerie model, he defied expectations to marry blue blood and instead chose Letizia Ortiz, a divorcee and former newsreader, whom he wed in a glittering ceremony in 2004.
The elegant Princess Letizia has for the most part won over a sceptical Spanish public despite her lack of aristocratic credentials, and is applauded not only for her style but also her easy manner with the public.
The couple have two daughters and present a modest lifestyle. A fortnight ago they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with tapas and beers at a Madrid restaurant.
Palace insiders had played down the likelihood of an abdication, saying the King would not want to leave the throne tarnished but hoped to recover its prestige himself.
But without explaining in detail how he came to his decision, Juan Carlos admitted he was no longer the man for the job.
The announcement came as a sur- prise to Spaniards, including some within the King’s inner circle, despite the controversies of the past few years.
The King’s playboy reputation — it is even claimed he once had an affair with Diana, Princess of Wales — and love of expensive pursuits were long tolerated even with an annual bill of about 9 million ($14.48) to the taxpayer. But after enjoying decades as one of Europe’s most revered monarchs, Juan Carlos has suffered one “annus horribilis” after another.
The turning point came in April 2012 when it emerged that he had been hunting elephants on safari in Botswana weeks after telling young Spaniards that he suffered sleepless nights worrying about youth unemployment.
The incident served to highlight the growing disparity between Spain’s elite and the austerity-hit public. It also threw an unwanted spotlight on the King’s “intimate relationship” with Corinna zu SaynWittgenstein, a glamorous German aristocrat 26 years his junior, who, it emerged, was a frequent travelling companion and led to intense speculation over the state of his marriage to Queen Sofia.
The King made an unprecedented public apology, but the secret trip at the taxpayer’s expense led to calls for his abdication.
His ailing health also raised questions about the future of his reign. Between May 2010 and November 2013, the King had surgery nine times, including five hip operations, and has spent much of the last two years absent from public life.
The Spanish Parliament must approve a law to complete the abdication before Prince Felipe can be crowned.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy praised the King, calling him a “tireless defender of our interests” and adding: “I’m convinced this is the best moment for change.”