74-406: King Juan Carlos I Queen Sofía Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz : The Duchess of Soria and Hernani The Duke of Soria and Hernani The Dowager Duchess of Calabria Infanta Cristina (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia, born 13 June 1965) is the younger daughter of King Juan Carlos I and his wife, Queen Sofía . She is sixth in
148-593: A company owned by Cristina and her husband. In 2015, her brother stripped her of her royal dukedom. In 2017 she was acquitted of all charges. Cristina represented the Crown during the reign of her father. Since October 2011, she has remained apart from the royal family and any official act of the Crown and, since 2014, she is no longer a member of the royal family. Cristina de Borbón was born on 13 June 1965 at Our Lady of Loreto Hospital, now known as ORPEA Madrid Loreto in Madrid and
222-544: A key endorsement of the monarchy from Spain's political left , who had been historically republican . Left-wing support for the monarchy had grown when the Communist Party of Spain was legalized on 9 April 1977, a move Juan Carlos had pressed for, despite enormous right-wing military opposition at that time, during the Cold War . On 15 June 1977, Spain held its first post-Franco democratic elections . Juan Carlos had played
296-458: A liberal who was opposed to his regime. Juan Carlos's first cousin Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz , was also briefly considered as a candidate. Alfonso was known to be an ardent Francoist and married Franco's granddaughter, Doña María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco , in 1972. Ultimately, Franco decided to skip a generation and name Infante Juan Carlos as his personal successor. Franco hoped
370-536: A major role in preventing a coup that attempted to revert to Francoist government in the King's name. In 2008, he was considered the most popular leader across all Ibero-America . Hailed for his role in Spain's transition to democracy, the King and the monarchy's reputation began to suffer after controversies surrounding his family arose, exacerbated by the public controversy centering on an elephant-hunting trip he undertook during
444-404: A majority of Movimiento members supported both measures. Juan Carlos quickly instituted reforms, to the great displeasure of Falangist and conservative ( monarchist ) elements, especially in the military, who had expected him to maintain the authoritarian state. In July 1976, Juan Carlos dismissed prime minister Carlos Arias Navarro , who had been attempting to continue Francoist policies in
518-561: A meeting in Madrid and decided with 226 votes to 13 to remove the King from its honorary presidency. He later apologised for the hunting trip. Up until the Botswana elephant trip, Juan Carlos had enjoyed a high level of shielding from media scrutiny, described as "rare among Western leaders". On the 500th anniversary of the Alhambra Decree in 1992, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia visited
592-453: A role as middleman in order to channel $ 10 million from the Shah of Iran to Adolfo Suárez's election campaign, reportedly asking the Shah for the money to "save Spain from Marxism". Suárez went on to win the election and become the first democratically elected leader of the new regime. In 1978, the government promulgated a new constitution that acknowledged Juan Carlos as rightful heir of
666-641: A special aircraft was sent to bring him home. Spanish officials stated that the expenses of the trip were not paid by taxpayers or by the palace, but by Mohamed Eyad Kayali, a businessman of Syrian origin. Cayo Lara Moya of the United Left party said the King's trip "demonstrated a lack of ethics and respect toward many people in this country who are suffering a lot" while Tomás Gómez of the Socialist party said Juan Carlos should choose between "public responsibilities or an abdication". In April 2012, Spain's unemployment
740-492: A time of financial crisis in Spain. In June 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, who acceded to the throne as Felipe VI. Since August 2020, Juan Carlos has lived in self-imposed exile from Spain over allegedly improper ties to business deals in Saudi Arabia . The New York Times estimated in 2014 that Juan Carlos's fortune was around 1.8 billion euros (2.3 billion U.S. dollars). Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María
814-515: A very young age. One of the first official events she attended was the proclamation of her father in November 1975. Since finishing her most basic education in 1983, Cristina, along with her sister Elena , supported their parents representing the Crown at official events such as the National Day , the wedding of Princess Astrid of Belgium , the re-burial of Queen Victoria Eugenia at El Escorial , and
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#1732859485568888-459: Is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until his abdication on 19 June 2014. In Spain, since his abdication, Juan Carlos has usually been referred to as the rey emérito ('king emeritus ') by the press. Juan Carlos is the son of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona , and grandson of Alfonso XIII , the last king of Spain before the abolition of
962-467: Is believed to have been a major factor in foiling the coup. The coup leaders had promised many of their potential supporters that they were acting in the King's name and with his approval, but were unable to demonstrate either, and the broadcast — coming just after midnight on the night of the coup — definitively showed the King's opposition to the coup makers. When Juan Carlos became king, Communist leader Santiago Carrillo had nicknamed him Juan Carlos
1036-481: Is reported to have been pressured by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to personally tell Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet , who had traveled to Spain for Franco's funeral, not to attend his inauguration. Juan Carlos's accession met with relatively little parliamentary opposition. Some members of the Movimiento Nacional voted against recognizing him, and even more voted against the 1976 Law for Political Reform. But
1110-810: Is the Royal Castle of Laeken on the edge of Brussels. She is a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee . In April 2015 the Princess took over the reins of the Prince Albert Fund from her father King Albert . Princess Astrid has been for many years a fierce advocate for landmine survivors rights, participating actively in the work of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as
1184-716: Is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola , and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe . She is married to Prince Lorenz of Belgium , head of the Austria-Este branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine , and is fifth in line of succession to the Belgian throne. Princess Astrid was born one day before her father's 28th birthday at the Belvédère Château in Laeken , northern Brussels , and
1258-571: The Archducal House of Austria-Este , on 22 September 1984 at Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon in Brussels . Lorenz is the eldest son of Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915–1996), and his wife Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (1930–2022). Her husband was also created Prince of Belgium by Royal Decree on 27 November 1995. Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz have five children: Astrid
1332-640: The Beth Yaacov Synagogue in Madrid , led by Chief Rabbif of Madrid Yehuda Benasouli to commemorate the occasion. While Sofia had been to the synagogue in the 1970s, the occasion marked the first time that the king had visited a synagogue in Spain. The Spanish royals were joined by Israeli President Chaim Herzog , Herzog's predecessor Yitzhak Navon , Rabbi Solomon Gaon and other Israeli and Spanish officials. Also present were descendants of Abraham Senior and Isaac Abarbanel , who had unsuccessfully petitioned King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to retract
1406-753: The High Court of Palma de Mallorca upheld tax fraud charges against the princess, paving the way for her to face trial; however, it decided to drop money-laundering charges. Her lawyers maintained that they remained completely convinced of her innocence. On 22 December 2014 the High Court of the Balearic Islands announced that Infanta Cristina, her husband, and 15 others would stand trial on tax fraud charges "as soon as next year". On 12 June 2015, King Felipe VI officially deprived his sister of her dukedom , privately announcing his intention beforehand. After this decision
1480-468: The Military Academy of Zaragoza . According to his sister Pilar, he had difficulty in his studies because of dyslexia . Juan Carlos has two sisters: Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz (1936–2020); and Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria (born 1939). He also had a younger brother, Alfonso (1941–1956). The rendering of his name as "Juan Carlos" (the first and second particles of his baptismal name)
1554-683: The Naval Military School and the General Academy of the Air, and finished his tertiary education at the University of Madrid . In 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark in Athens. The couple have three children: Elena , Cristina , and Felipe . Due to Franco's declining health, Juan Carlos first began periodically acting as Spain's head of state in the summer of 1974. In November
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#17328594855681628-524: The Nóos case . In April 2013, Infanta Cristina was formally named as a suspect in the case by the judge in charge. When invited to comment, a Royal Household spokesman said that the Casa Real "does not comment on judicial decisions", yet the next day, after the anti-corruption prosecutor announced that he would appeal the decision, it relented by expressing "absolute conformity" with the legal authorities. In light of
1702-585: The Ottawa Treaty , since Belgium joined in 1998. In 2013, the Princess was named Special Envoy of the convention, and has promoted the acceptance of a global ban on landmines and promoted the rights of survivors in various UN meetings. In 2014, she met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah , to encourage Oman to join the treaty, which occurred a few months later. In 2019, she carried out
1776-586: The Palace of Zarzuela and began carrying out official engagements. The dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco came to power during the Spanish Civil War , which pitted a government of democrats, anarchists, socialists, and communists, supported by the Soviet Union and international volunteers, against a rebellion of conservatives, monarchists, nationalists, and fascists, supported by both Hitler and Mussolini, with
1850-768: The Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1989 with a degree in political science . She pursued postgraduate studies at New York University , obtaining an MA in international relations in 1990. In 1991, she gained practical experience working at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris . In 2001, she was named United Nations goodwill ambassador United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the 2nd World Assembly on Aging. She speaks Spanish, Catalan, English, French, and Greek. Cristina married team handball player Iñaki Urdangarin at Barcelona Cathedral on 4 October 1997. On this occasion, she
1924-463: The line of succession to the Spanish throne , after her brother King Felipe VI 's children, her sister Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo , and Elena's children. On 26 September 1997, on the occasion of her marriage to handball player Iñaki Urdangarin , she was created Duchess of Palma de Mallorca , by her father, King Juan Carlos. From 2013 to 2017, she was investigated for possible corruption involving
1998-500: The 'Clean Hands' anti-graft organisation using a Spanish legal instrument known as the 'people's accusation'. At that time, her lawyers had asked judges to drop the criminal charges against her, and the state prosecutor said there was insufficient evidence to back up the accusations, but on 29 January the Court in Palma de Mallorca, where the trial was being held, said in a statement it was upholding
2072-611: The Brief , predicting that the monarchy would soon be swept away with the other remnants of the Franco era. After the collapse of the attempted coup however, in an emotional statement, Carrillo remarked: "Today, we are all monarchists." Public support for the monarchy among democrats and leftists, which had been limited before 1981, increased significantly following the king's handling of the coup. However, this event remains controversial and has led to several alternative theories that cast doubt on
2146-453: The Easter holidays from military school. Both Juan Carlos, age 18, and Alfonso, age 14, had been apparently playing with a .22 caliber Long Automatic Star revolver owned by Alfonso. As they were alone in the room, it is unclear how Alfonso was shot, but according to Josefina Carolo, dressmaker to Juan Carlos's mother, Juan Carlos pointed the pistol at Alfonso and pulled the trigger, unaware that it
2220-639: The King before a solemn meeting of the Cortes. An attempted military coup, known as 23-F, occurred on 23 February 1981, when the Cortes were seized by members of the Guardia Civil in the parliamentary chamber . During the coup, the King, wearing his uniform as Captain-General of the Armed Forces, gave a public television broadcast calling for unambiguous support for the legitimate democratic government. The broadcast
2294-520: The King of Spain, not of Belgium") – a reference to King Baudouin of Belgium , who had refused to sign the Belgian law legalising abortion. The King gave his Royal Assent to Law 13/2005 on 1 July 2005; the law legalising same-sex marriage was gazetted in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 2 July, and came into effect on 3 July. According to a poll in the newspaper El Mundo in November 2005, 77.5% of Spaniards thought Juan Carlos
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2368-479: The Spanish dynasty and king; specifically, Title II, Section 57 asserted Juan Carlos's right to the throne of Spain by dynastic succession in the Bourbon tradition, as "the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty" rather than as the designated successor of Franco. The Constitution was passed by the democratically elected Constituent Cortes , ratified by the people in a referendum (6 December) and then signed into law by
2442-567: The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , while the latter was defending his predecessor and political opponent, José María Aznar , after Chávez had referred to Aznar as a fascist and "less human than snakes". The King shortly afterwards left the hall when President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua accused Spain of intervention in his country's elections and complained about some Spanish energy companies working in Nicaragua. This
2516-521: The charges. She took the stand in March 2016, denying being an accessory to tax evasion, and denying knowledge of her husband's activities. She insisted on her right to answer only questions from her own lawyer. She said that her husband handled the couple's finances, and that she did not know why some large personal expenses were charged to a credit card of a company that the couple owned. She said that she never spoke with her husband about these matters because she
2590-517: The country's unity. Under the Constitution, the King has immunity from prosecution in matters relating to his official duties. Consequently, he exercised most of his powers through the ministers; his acts as King (and not as a citizen) were not valid unless countersigned by a minister, who became politically responsible for the act in question. As head of the Spanish state, Juan Carlos "held political power, gave his opinion and exerted his influence in
2664-658: The coup attempt — more than six hours after the armed guards invaded Congress — it is still difficult to establish whether he acted out of democratic conviction or because the operation was not going as well as expected, with little support. The reasons for the trial of the coup plotters are still classified. The victory of the PSOE in 1982 under González marked the effective end of the King's active involvement in Spanish politics. González governed for 14 years, longer than any other democratically elected Prime Minister. His administration helped consolidate Spanish democracy and thus maintained
2738-460: The door knocked Juan Carlos in the arm, causing him to fire the pistol. After learning this news, the Count of Barcelona reportedly grabbed Juan Carlos by the neck and shouted at him angrily, "Swear to me that you didn't do it on purpose!" Two days later, the Count sent his son back to the military academy. Following a later declaration of Juan Carlos's mother, Paul Preston argues that the content of
2812-464: The economic sphere, for example, in the area of company mergers or public policy during the transition period," analyses journalist Ana Pardo . The honour of the royal family is specifically protected from insult by the Spanish Penal Code . Under this protection, Basque independentist Arnaldo Otegi and cartoonists from El Jueves were tried and punished. The King gave an annual speech to
2886-523: The edict. In 2008, Juan Carlos spoke at the opening of a 3-day Saudi-sponsored World Conference on Dialogue interfaith conference at the Royal Palace of El Pardo outside Madrid. The conference was attended by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia , Rabbi David Rosen , and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair . Princess Astrid of Belgium King Albert II Queen Paola Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962),
2960-468: The face of the King's attempts at democratization. He instead appointed Adolfo Suárez , a former leader of the Movimiento Nacional , as prime minister. Further legitimacy was restored to Juan Carlos's position on 14 May 1977, when his father (whom many monarchists had recognized as the legitimate, exiled King of Spain during the Franco era ) formally renounced his claim to the throne and recognized his son as
3034-531: The following year, Franco died and Juan Carlos became king. Juan Carlos was expected to continue Franco's legacy, but instead introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and to begin the Spanish transition to democracy soon after his accession. This led to the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum which re-established a constitutional monarchy . In 1981, Juan Carlos played
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3108-665: The former testimony implies that Juan Carlos had pointed the gun at Alfonso, apparently not knowing that the gun was loaded, and pulled the trigger. In 1957, Juan Carlos spent a year in the naval school at Marín, Pontevedra , and another in the Air Force school in San Javier in Murcia . In 1960–61, he studied law, international political economy and public finance at the Complutense University of Madrid . He then went to live in
3182-511: The forthcoming trial, she and her children moved to Geneva , Switzerland , in summer 2013. On 7 January 2014, a Spanish judge charged her with tax fraud and money laundering and ordered her to appear in court. The infanta made her first appearance in the Majorca Court on 8 February 2014, where she denied any knowledge of her husband's dealings. Spanish judge Jose Castro formalised charges against Infanta Cristina on 25 June 2014. In November 2014
3256-539: The future Pope Pius XII . Juan Carlos's early life was dictated largely by the political concerns of his father and General Francisco Franco . He moved to Spain in 1948 to be educated there after his father persuaded Franco to allow it. He began his studies in San Sebastián and finished them in 1954 at the Instituto San Isidro in Madrid. He then joined the army, doing his officer training from 1955 to 1957 at
3330-528: The monarchy in 1931 and the subsequent declaration of the Second Spanish Republic . Juan Carlos was born in Rome , Italy, during his family's exile. Francisco Franco took over the government of Spain after his victory in the Spanish Civil War in 1939, yet in 1947 Spain's status as a monarchy was affirmed and a law was passed allowing Franco to choose his successor. Juan Carlos's father assumed his claims to
3404-706: The nation on Christmas Eve and was, as King, the commander-in-chief of the Spanish armed forces. In October 1990, Juan Carlos visited the Chilean city of Valdivia amidst the beginning of the Chilean transition to democracy . While he and the Queen were cheered by some, groups of indigenous Mapuches approached the king some to protest past colonialism and others to have the King ratify past Mapuche-Spanish treaties. According to El País political infighting between Mapuches prevented Juan Carlos from hosting an official meeting with Mapuche representatives. In July 2000, Juan Carlos
3478-579: The partial invasion of the Spanish Sahara by Moroccan civilians, followed by the Madrid Accords handing over the control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania . Franco died on 20 November 1975, and two days later on 22 November the Cortes Españolas proclaimed Juan Carlos King of Spain. In his address to the Cortes, Juan Carlos spoke of three factors: historical tradition, national laws, and
3552-456: The rebels ultimately winning. Franco's authoritarian government remained dominant in Spain until the 1960s. With Franco's increasing age, left-wing protests increased, while at the same time, the far right factions demanded the return of a hardline absolute monarchy . At the time, the heir to the throne of Spain was Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, the son of King Alfonso XIII. However, Franco viewed him with extreme suspicion, believing him to be
3626-601: The same time, she works for the Aga Khan Foundation . She visits Barcelona often for work, but she has lived in Geneva , Switzerland since 2013. Since 2024, although she has maintained her residence in Geneva, she spends long periods at the Royal Palace of Zarzuela , where her younger children live with their grandmother. Her husband was investigated from early 2012 on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining millions in public funds in
3700-562: The sincerity of the King's defense of democracy. The King had close ties with the leader of the rebellion, who had served him as Secretary General of the Royal Household. Above all, Juan Carlos and the main political parties were aware of a plan to put General Alfonso Armada in charge of the government, particularly in order to crack down on the Basque independence organization Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA). Although Juan Carlos strongly condemned
3774-558: The sole head of the Spanish Royal House, transferring to him the historical heritage of the Spanish monarchy, thus making Juan Carlos both de facto and de jure king in the eyes of the traditional monarchists. On 20 May 1977, the leader of the only recently legalized Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Felipe González , accompanied by Javier Solana , visited Juan Carlos in the Zarzuela Palace. The event represented
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#17328594855683848-453: The stability of the nation. On paper, Juan Carlos retained fairly extensive reserve powers . He was the guardian of the Constitution and was responsible for ensuring that it was obeyed. In practice, since the passage of the Constitution (and especially since 1982), he took a mostly non-partisan and representative role, acting almost entirely on the advice of the government. However, he commanded great moral authority as an essential symbol of
3922-573: The state visit of Mexican president Miguel de la Madrid to Spain, among others. After the corruption scandal of her husband, the Duchess and her husband distanced themselves from the royal family, being their last official event as members of the royal family on 12 October 2011. After the ascension of her brother in June 2014, she formally left the royal family. Regarding her personal work, Cristina has been working for La Caixa Foundation since October 1993. At
3996-601: The throne after King Alfonso XIII died in February 1941. However, Franco saw Juan Carlos's father to be too liberal and in 1969 declared Juan Carlos his successor as head of state. Juan Carlos spent his early years in Italy and came to Spain in 1947 to continue his studies. After completing his secondary education in 1955, he began his military training and entered the General Military Academy at Zaragoza . Later, he attended
4070-531: The will of the people, and in so doing referred to a process dating back to the Civil War of 1936–39. He swore using the following formula: "I swear to God and the Gospels to comply and enforce compliance to the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and to remain loyal to the Principles of the National Movement ". On 27 November, a Mass of the Holy Spirit was celebrated in the church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid to inaugurate his reign. He opted not to call himself Juan III or Carlos V, but Juan Carlos I. Juan Carlos
4144-471: The young prince could be groomed to take over the nation while still maintaining the ultraconservative and authoritarian nature of his regime. In 1969, Juan Carlos was officially designated heir-apparent and was given the new title of Prince of Spain (not the traditional Prince of Asturias ). As a condition of being named heir-apparent, he was required to swear loyalty to Franco's Movimiento Nacional , which he did with little outward hesitation. His choice
4218-407: Was baptized into the Church at the Palacio de La Zarzuela by the Archbishop of Madrid . Her godparents were Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz (her first cousin once removed), and Infanta Maria Cristina (great-aunt). She is a sailor, and competed in the Tornado event at the 1988 Summer Olympics . She received her secondary education at Santa María del Camino School before graduating from
4292-523: Was "good or very good", 15.4% "not so good", and only 7.1% "bad or very bad". Even so, the issue of the monarchy re-emerged on 28 September 2007 as photos of the king were burnt in public in Catalonia by small groups of protesters wanting the restoration of the Republic. In November 2007, at the Ibero-American Summit in Santiago , during a heated exchange, Juan Carlos interrupted Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez , saying, " ¿Por qué no te callas? " ("Why don't you shut up?"). Chávez had been interrupting
4366-403: Was a modification by choice of Franco. He was always known in his familiar circle simply as "Juan" or "Juanito". On the evening of Holy Thursday , 29 March 1956, Infante Alfonso died in a gun accident at the family's home Villa Giralda in Estoril , on the Portuguese Riviera . The Spanish Embassy in Portugal then issued the following official communiqué: Whilst His Highness Prince Alfonso
4440-423: Was an unprecedented diplomatic incident and a rare display of public anger by the King. Juan Carlos detailed for the first time in 2011 the yearly royal budget of €8.3 million, excluding expenses such as the electricity bill, paid by the State. In April 2012, Juan Carlos faced criticism for an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana . The public found out about the trip only after the King injured himself and
4514-426: Was at 23% and nearly 50% for young workers. El País estimated the total cost of a hunting trip at €44,000, about twice the average annual salary in Spain. A petition called for the king to resign from his position as honorary president of the Spanish branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature . The WWF itself responded by asking for an interview with the King to resolve the situation. In July 2012, WWF Spain held
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#17328594855684588-427: Was born to Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona , and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in their family home in Rome , where his grandfather King Alfonso XIII and other members of the Spanish royal family lived in exile following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. He was baptized as Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli,
4662-445: Was cleaning a revolver last evening with his brother, a shot was fired hitting his forehead and killing him in a few minutes. The accident took place at 20.30 hours, after the Infante's return from the Maundy Thursday religious service, during which he had received holy communion . Alfonso had won a local junior golf tournament earlier in the day, then went to evening Mass and rushed up to the room to see Juan Carlos who had come home for
4736-603: Was created Duchess of Palma de Mallorca for life. The couple has four children, all born at Teknon Medical Centre in Barcelona: They lived in Washington, D.C. , from 2009 to 2012, where her husband worked for Telefónica . In August 2013, she moved with her four children to Geneva , Switzerland, to take a job with the Caixa Foundation, while her husband, who was the subject of an embezzlement investigation, remained in Barcelona . On 24 January 2022, Cristina and Urdangarin announced their separation. The couple divorced in December 2023. Cristina started to attend official events at
4810-504: Was created Duchess of Palma de Mallorca. She lost the dukedom in 2015 following her husband's alleged involvement in a corruption scandal. Juan Carlos I King Juan Carlos I Queen Sofía Children of the late Duchess of Badajoz : The Duchess of Soria and Hernani The Duke of Soria and Hernani The Dowager Duchess of Calabria Juan Carlos I ( Spanish: [xwaŋˈkaɾlos] ; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938)
4884-406: Was formerly President of the Belgian Red Cross , a position which ended on 31 December 2007. She declined to stand again for election to the role in light of internal struggles in the organisation in reconciling its Flemish-speaking and French branches, each of which seeks greater autonomy. The princess is also a colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian Armed Forces . Her official residence
4958-416: Was in Juan Carlos's company. However, as the years progressed, Juan Carlos began meeting secretly with political opposition leaders and exiles, who were fighting to bring liberal reform to the country. He also had secret conversations with his father over the telephone. Franco, for his part, remained largely oblivious to the prince's actions and denied allegations from his ministers and advisors that Juan Carlos
5032-399: Was in any way disloyal to his vision of the regime. During periods of Franco's temporary incapacity in 1974 and 1975, Juan Carlos was acting head of state . On 30 October 1975, Franco gave full control to Juan Carlos. According to declassified CIA reports, during this time Juan Carlos secretly acquiesced and arranged with King Hassan II of Morocco the terms of the so-called Green March ,
5106-411: Was loaded. Bernardo Arnoso, a Portuguese friend of Juan Carlos, also said that Juan Carlos had told him he had fired the pistol not knowing that it was loaded, and adding that the bullet ricocheted off a wall, hitting Alfonso in the face. Helena Matheopoulos , a Greek author who spoke with the infantes' sister Pilar, said that Alfonso had been out of the room and when he returned and pushed the door open,
5180-502: Was made public, Cristina's lawyer, Miquel Roca , declared that the king's decision followed a formal request from the infanta, although the Royal Household denied it, saying that her renunciation to the title was after the king's private phone call to communicate her the decision. Her right of succession to the throne, and to the royal title of infanta were unaffected. Cristina's trial began on 11 January 2016, presided over by three judges in Palma de Mallorca . The charges were filed by
5254-434: Was named after her late paternal grandmother, Astrid of Sweden , King Leopold III 's popular first wife, who had died in 1935 in a car accident aged 29. Princess Astrid godparents were her uncle Fabrizio , Prince Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau , 7th Duke di Guardia Lombarda, and her aunt Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg . Princess Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este , subsequently head of
5328-430: Was not interested in the subject, and that she was very busy with her small children. On 17 February 2017, she was acquitted of the charges, while her husband received a sentence of imprisonment for a term of six years and three months. As a child of a Spanish monarch, Cristina is entitled to the designation and rank of infanta (princess) with the style of Royal Highness . On the occasion of her marriage in 1997, she
5402-553: Was ratified by the Spanish parliament on 22 July 1969. Juan Carlos met and consulted Franco many times while heir apparent and often took part in official and ceremonial state functions, standing alongside the dictator, much to the anger of hardline republicans and more moderate liberals, who hoped that Franco's death would bring in an era of reform. During 1969–1975, Juan Carlos publicly supported Franco's regime. Although Franco's health worsened during those years, whenever he did appear in public, from state dinners to military parades, it
5476-471: Was the target of an enraged protester when former priest Juan María Fernández y Krohn , who had once attacked Pope John Paul II , breached security and attempted to approach the king. When the media asked Juan Carlos in 2005 whether he would endorse the bill legalising same-sex marriage that was then being debated in the Cortes Generales , he answered "Soy el Rey de España y no el de Bélgica" ("I am
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