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Juan Carlos I of Spain

King of Spain from 1975 to 2014 · Spain · Born 1938 · age 88

Juan Carlos I of Spain is read about 4,701 times a day, in 110 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

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He was handpicked by Franco to preserve a dictatorship, then spent his first years as king quietly dismantling it - until scandals over elephant hunts and Saudi money sent him into exile from the country he'd steered back to democracy.

Business ProfessionalsHistorical FigureRoyaltySpainEurope20th Century

A life in dates

2014King emeritus of SpainOffice2009Order of ExcellenceAward1996Four Freedoms Award - Freedom MedalAward1994Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace PrizeAward1993Grand Collar of the Military Order of the Tower and SwordAward1987Nansen Refugee AwardAward1985Doctor Honoris Causa from the Paris-Sorbonne UniversityAwardGold medal of GaliciaAwardHonorary Doctor of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-SorbonneAward1983International Simón Bolívar PrizeAward1982Charlemagne PrizeAward1980Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicAward1979Honorary Doctorate of Strasbourg-III UniversityAward1975Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of FinlandAwardGrand Master of the Order of AlcántaraOffice1975-2014Monarch of SpainOffice1975-20141970Grand Cross of the Cross of Military Merit with White DecorationAward1969Prince of SpainOffice1969-19751938Born5 January 1938

Also in Deutsch

Photos 12

Coat of arms of the King of SpainCoat of arms of the King of SpainJuan Carlos (left) and Alfonso with their father Juan, Count of Barcelona, in 1950Juan Carlos (left) and Alfonso with their father Juan, Count of Barcelona, in 1950Juan Carlos and Francisco Franco in 1969Juan Carlos and Francisco Franco in 1969Proclamation as king at the Palacio de las Cortes on 22 November 1975Proclamation as king at the Palacio de las Cortes on 22 November 1975Juan Carlos in 1977Juan Carlos in 1977Royal trips of King Juan Carlos IRoyal trips of King Juan Carlos IA 5,000-Spanish peseta note bearing the image of King Juan CarlosA 5,000-Spanish peseta note bearing the image of King Juan Carlos

Awards

Order of Excellence2009
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross2002
Four Freedoms Award - Freedom Medal1996
Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize1994
Gold Medal of the San Pablo CEU University1994
Grand Collar of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword1993
Gold medal of the Spanish National Research Council1993
Nansen Refugee Award1987
Royal Victorian Chain1986
Doctor Honoris Causa from the Paris-Sorbonne University1985
Gold medal of Galicia1985
Honorary Doctor of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne1985
Gold Olympic Order1985
Honorary Doctor of the University of Madrid Complutense1984
International Simón Bolívar Prize1983
Charlemagne Prize1982
Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Saint Olav1982
Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic1980
Order of the Elephant1980
Honorary Doctorate of Strasbourg-III University1979
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany1977
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland1975
Battle of Lepanto 4th Centenary Medal1971
Grand Cross of the Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration1970
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Order of the White Eagle
Collar of the Order of the White Lion
Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Three Stars
Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil)
Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania
Order of Francisco Morazán
Collar of the Order of Pope Pius IX
Honorary doctor of the University of Bologna
Honorary doctor of the University of Oxford
Honorary Doctorate from the University of Cambridge
Honorary Doctor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ

Family

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Juan Carlos I of Spain

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About this person

Born in Rome in 1938 while Spain's royal family lived in exile, Juan Carlos returned at nine and was groomed by Franco, who in 1969 bypassed the boy's liberal father and named him successor. He became king in November 1975, and instead of preserving the regime, pushed through democratic reforms that led to the 1978 constitution restoring constitutional monarchy. In 1981 he personally blocked a military coup attempting to restore Franco's order. By 2008 he was Ibero-America's most popular leader, but the shine wore off: a 2012 elephant-hunting trip during Spain's financial collapse, then mounting family scandals, corroded his standing. He abdicated in June 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, and in 2020 left Spain altogether over allegations of Saudi business entanglements, his fortune estimated near two billion dollars.

Country
Spain
Type
Historical Figure
Status
living
Dates
Born 1938 · age 88

In common with Juan

Pedro AlonsoAlso in El Calentito (2005)Federico Mayor ZaragozaAlso in Operación Palace (2014)Macarena GómezAlso in El Calentito (2005)Iñaki GabilondoAlso in Operación Palace (2014)Alba FloresAlso in El Calentito (2005)

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