© Manuel H De Leon/EPA
King Juan Carlos Abdicates after 38 Years of Rule
Prince Felipe announced by the Prime Minister to take over
The announcement of King Juan Carlos's abdication has come as a surprise to many.
Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish Prime Minister, announced that Prince Felipe will take over the throne from his father under the name of Philip VI of Spain.
Juan Carlos (now 76 years old) has been on the throne since November 1975, after the death of dictator Franciso Franco, and led the transition of Spain becoming a democracy. More recently he has been hampered by health problems and the public scandal relating to his son in law.
Juan Carlos was in Mallorca recently for Easter Mass with his family where he was met with welcoming cheers, and had recently been on a trade-relations trip to Saudi Arabia to strengthen bonds between the two countries.
He is expected to give a personal statement to the Spanish people tomorrow at 10:00 GMT. The Spanish government has also called for an extraoridinary cabinet meeting to discuss the transition, which is the first of its kind since 1885.
