When caudillo Francisco Franco died in 1978 and a constitutional monarchy came into effect in Spain, it was the merit of King Juan Carlos. if the country managed to open up to modern Europe without unnecessary tears. Although the Bourbon dynasty has a very ancient origin, it is for this reason that history of the spanish royal family should be traced back to 44 years ago, when there was a decisive transition from a totalitarian system to democracy. The sovereign was appointed by Franco himself, who in 1969 designated Juan Carlos as heir to the Spanish crown. The third son of King Alfonso XIII and Maria Mercedes of Bourbon-Sicilian, he was not destined to rule and was born in Rome on January 5, 1938, lived in Italy until 1942 before moving to Switzerland. His return to Madrid took place only in 1947 with the restoration of the monarchy. However, Juan Carlos’s two older brothers gave up any claim to the crown, and so Franco appointed the young prince. The appointment was ratified by the Cortes Españolas on 22 July 1969, and Juan Carlos swore to uphold the fundamental laws of the Kingdom and the principles of the National Movement.
Royals of Spain
In 1975, Juan Carlos assumed the interim functions of the head of state and after the death of Franco, on November 22, he was proclaimed king of Spain. As already suggested, his work played a decisive role during the transition period in Spain, which led to the restoration of democracy with the approval in 1978 of the current democratic constitution. In 1981, the Sovereign showed determination in preventing a coup organized by elements of the civil guard and the army, led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina, with a famous speech on television. Also after this episode for decades, the king was one of the most beloved and revered rulers of the Spanish people..
How is the Spanish royal family organized?
Meanwhile, on May 14, 1962, in the capital’s Annunciation Cathedral in Athens, he married Princess Sophia of Greece, his second cousin, daughter of King Paul I of Greece and Federica of Hanover. Three children were born from his wife: babies Elena (1963) and Christina (1965) and Prince Philip of Asturias (1968).. Since Spain has a semi-salic law that gives preference to a man over a woman in the line of succession to the throne, regardless of age.On 19 June 2014, when Juan Carlos abdicated, the crown passed to Felipe, the only male heir.
How many grandchildren do Juan Carlos and Sofia have?
Juan Carlos and Sofia have eight grandchildren: two from daughter Elena, four from Cristina and two from Felipe.. Elena is the eldest daughter of the honorary king. She studied French literature in Paris, where in 1987 she met Jaime Rafael Ramos Maria de Marichalar y Saenz de Tejada, the fourth of six children of the Counts of Ripalda. The couple married on 18 March 1995 at the Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede de Sevilla; in this case, her father gave her the title of Duchess of Lugo for life. The couple had two children, Felipe, born in 1998, and Victoria, born in 2000. The second child Christina studied political science in Madrid, graduated in New York and later, in 1991, worked at the headquarters of UNESCO. Six years later, she married handball player Iñaki Urdangarin in Barcelona. On this occasion, she received the honorary title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca for life. The couple had four children, all born in Barcelona: Juan in 1999, Pablo in 2000, Miguel in 2002 and Irene in 2005. The family lived in Washington for several years, and Infanta now lives with her four children in Geneva, and her husband, who is under investigation for embezzlement, is in prison in Barcelona. Felipe, the current king of Spain, after his father Juan Carlos was forced to abdicate in 2014 due to scandals erupted in his account over allegedly illegal embezzlement of money from the state treasury, has been married to journalist Letizia Ortiz since 2004. The couple got married at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. in 2005, she gave birth to the future heir to the throne, Leonor, and in 2007, her sister Sophia..
Curiosity about the Spanish Royal Family
As heir to the throne, Leonor boasts, among other things, the title of Princess of Asturias. When she ascends the throne, she will become the second queen in the history of the Spanish monarchy after Isabella II of Castile.. Since September, the girl has moved to Wales to study at the prestigious UWC Atlantic College, an educational institution that brings together the cream of the European aristocracy. It is no coincidence that among her classmates there is a contemporary Alexia Holland, the second child of Queen Maxima of Holland.
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Source: Elle