King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicates

King Juan Carlos of Spain has ruled since 1975, taking over after the death of dictator Francisco Franco

Spain’s PM Mariano Rajoy has announced the abdication of King Juan Carlos.

King Juan Carlos of Spain, who is 76, has ruled since 1975, taking over after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

The king’s son, Crown Prince Felipe, 45, will take over the throne.

King Juan Carlos of Spain has ruled since 1975, taking over after the death of dictator Francisco Franco (photo Reuters)

For much of his reign, King Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world’s most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him.

His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into his daughter and her husband.

Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in the middle of Spain’s financial crisis.

Mariano Rajoy said the king was stepping down for personal reasons. His health is failing and he has had a number of hip operations in recent years.

The prime minister said King Juan Carlos had been a “tireless defender of our interests”.

“I’m convinced this is the best moment for change,” he added.

Mariano Rajoy said ministers would hold a special meeting on the issue.

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Diane A. Wade

Diane is a perfectionist. She enjoys searching the internet for the hottest events from around the world and writing an article about it. The details matter to her, so she makes sure the information is easy to read and understand. She likes traveling and history, especially ancient history. Being a very sociable person she has a blast having barbeque with family and friends.