It’s all over the international press, the King of Spain has resigned, handing over ‘power’ to his son Crown Prince Felipe, 45, who will now take over the throne.
So, after a reign approaching 40 years, what can be said about the man. Well, for those of us around in the late 70’s and early 80’s, he will be remembered as pivotal in the handover of power from Franco to democracy.
Some might even argue, that without him, it would have been difficult, if not impossible. Then, in the following years, a couple of attempted coups were put down, with the King taking to the TV screens immediately supporting continued democracy and urging calm.
His popularity seemed untouchable, and was further enhanced by the fact he never courted such adulation. Always calm and measured, intelligent and informed, he was everything the new power hungry politicians were not. The feeling of stability he managed to instill was felt throughout the world, and for the majority of his reign he was regarded by other nations as the most popular current monarch.
So why now? Well, we once heard the Queen of England say that she had endured, what she referred to as “annus horriblus“, which is not something many of us have suffered after a particularly hot curry… it referred to her ‘horrible year’, when the monarchy was suffering after several scandals and deaths. King Juan Carlos has had several ‘annus horriblus‘ in succession… ill health being the main problem, closely followed by the huge financial scandal involving his son-in-law and finally the elephant shooting photograph which went viral.
We have put the health issue at the top of the list, because this man could certainly have ‘ridden out’ the other issues in full health, but a few stumbles, both physical and vocal, probably made him realize that the time had come.
Through all the scandals and ill health, King Juan Carlos managed to carry himself tall and with a dignity beyond even his lofty status, and in this latest act, he has proved one final time that he is a gifted leader, politician and king. His son is more than ready to take over the throne, already proving himself to be both intelligent and popular. As the 76-year-old king said during his abdication address, “A new generation must be at the forefront, younger people with new energies.”
Regardless of the scandals and ill health, we are still seeing the departure of a man who has sacrificed more physically and emotionally for his country than all the politicians put together. We wish him a long and happy retirement.
Footnote/Martin: Although the majority of Spaniards are royalists, not everybody wants a monarchy. In fact, thanks to the general discredit towards the political body and the ‘establishment’ in general, the call for a republic is more vociferous than expected.
In that respect, it might have been the wrong moment for an abdication as the transition is a weak link in the continuity any monarchic system, and one that will be exploited by pro-republic parties. Then again, a generational changeover in the monarchy might just save the day for the Spanish monarchy.
(News: Spain)
Viva el Rey!