Juan Carlos I of Spain

Juan Carlos I (born 5 January 1938) was the King of Spain from 1975 to 2014.

Juan Carlos I
King Juan Carlos I in 2009
King of Spain
Reign	22 November 1975 – 18 June 2014
Enthronement	27 November 1975
Predecessor	Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel (interim Head of State) Alfonso XIII (as King of Spain) Francisco Franco (as Caudillo of Spain)
Successor	Felipe VI of Spain
Prime Ministers	See list Carlos Arias-Navarro Fernando de Santiago y Díaz Adolfo Suárez Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo Felipe González José María Aznar José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Mariano Rajoy
Born	(1938-01-05) 5 January 1938 Rome, Italy
Spouse	Sophia of Greece and Denmark
Issue Detail	Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Full name Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón
House	Bourbons of Spain[1][2]
Father	Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona
Mother	María de las Mercedes of the Two Sicilies
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

His name came from his father (Juan de Borbón), his grandfather (Alfonso XIII) and his mother's father's name (Prince Carlo of the Two Sicilies).

Juan Carlos was born on 5 January 1938 at Rome,[3] He is eldest son of Juan Count of Barcelona and his countess María de las Mercedes of the Two Sicilies, He had two sisters and one brother.

Juan Carlos has study at Spainish Navy School and Spanish Air Force School in 1960-61. He studied Law, International political economy and Public finance at the University of Madrid. He then went to live in the Palace of Zarzuela and began carrying out official engagements.

On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos became king. Franco had picked him and prepared him for the job. In 1969 it had been thirty years since the last king. King Juan Carlos helped change Spain from a dictatorship into a parliamentary democracy. In 2008 he was voted the most popular leader in all Ibero-America.

Juan Carlos' wife Queen Sofía of Spain is his third cousin, She is the sister of ex-King Constantine II of Greece, Juan and Queen Sofia of Greece have three children together, Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo , Infanta Cristina of Spain and Felipe VI of Spain

On 2 June 2014, Juan Carlos announced that he would abdicate in favour of his son, Felipe VI.[4] The abdication and handover to Felipe occurred on 19 June 2014. He and his wife kept their titles.[5]

On 24 August 2019 he had heart surgery.[6]

On 3 August 2020, he went into voluntary exile following a financial scandal over some illegal deals he did with Saudi Arabia.[7][8] He now lives in the United Arab Emirates.[9]