Juan Carlos

1938

Spanish King

 

 

 

King Juan Carlos of Spain is the grandson of King Alfonso XII. As a young prince, he was named by Spanish dictator Generalissimo Franco as the future King of Spain.

< In November 1975, following the death of Franco, Juan Carlos became King. He was expected to continue the administration of Franco but instead began democractic reforms that transformed Spain into a constitutional democracy. In 1981 the military attempted a coup against the democratically elected goverment. Carlos appeared on TV on the side of the democratically elected government. His appearance is widely credited with ending the coup. In 2014 Carlos abdicated setting the stage for his son Felipe VI tp become King.

Bibliography:

Cardona, Rodolfo. Juan Carlos King of Spain (Hispanics of Achievement Series). 1993. Chelsea House Pub.