November 22, 1975. Proclamation of King Juan Carlos Two days after the dictator's death, at 12:30, Prince Juan Carlos appeared before the Francoist Cortes to be proclaimed King of Spain. A historic day for Spain. Juan Carlos I was proclaimed on November 22, 1975.
May 14, 1977. Don Juan's Abdication Don Juan de Bourbon ceded his dynastic rights to his son, Juan Carlos, two years after Franco's death. Juan Carlos I had been on the throne for a year and a half, and the Count of Barcelona considered it the opportune moment for one of the most difficult—and necessary—acts of his life: to renounce any possibility of being King of Spain, as his father Alfonso XIII had been and his son was at that time.
June 2, 2014. King Juan Carlos's Abdication It was a difficult time for Juan Carlos I, and he was aware of it. The King made the difficult decision two years later. Both leaders ensured a calm preparation for the news to be made public on June 2.
June 19, 2014. Felipe VI, a new King for Spain "I appear today before the General Courts to swear the oath provided for in our Constitution and to be proclaimed King of Spain." Thus, the Prince of Asturias went to the Congress to be proclaimed as Felipe VI.
February 23, 1981. A vital speech As the clock passed one in the morning on February 24, 1981, the King addressed a nation that had not taken its eyes off televisions and radios to find out what was happening in the Congress. That night, at 18:23, a group of Civil Guards led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero forcibly interrupted the investiture session of Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo as president. The King uttered a phrase that would remain valid for years: "Faced with those who practice intolerance, scorn coexistence, do not respect institutions or the basic rules of ordered freedom of expression, I want to proclaim once again my faith in democracy and my trust in the Basque people."
May 20, 1982. Charlemagne Prize for the King's Europeanism Spain's transition to democracy had to be both internal and external. The King made the difficult decision. In his speech, he emphasized that "beneath the fragmentation, the particular interests, the rivalries, and the struggle for power, the European elements have acted as a factor of unity and convergence."
October 3, 2017. Speech against the separatist challenge If Juan Carlos I had his 23-F, Felipe VI starred in his 3-O. After the failed separatist referendum, the King decided to address the nation directly with a televised message showing his commitment and political stature. Without mincing words, the Monarch called on the state powers "in this situation of extreme gravity to ensure the constitutional order and the normal functioning of the institutions, the rule of law and the self-government of Catalonia."
October 31, 2005. Birth of Leonor It was raining in Madrid when then-Princess Letizia had to be urgently admitted to the Ruber International Clinic, three weeks earlier than expected. Princess Leonor was born in the early hours of the morning on October 31, 2005.
- Spain opens to the world 1992 was a key year for Spain and the Royal Family. These were also the sweetest moments and the peak of the Royal Family's national and international popularity, symbolized by the Olympic Games, "the best in history," as noted by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, where Spain heard the King's "Ben vinguts a tots a Barcelona," saw Prince Felipe parade as the Spanish team's flag-bearer at Montjuïc, and felt the entire Royal Family vibrate from the stands.
