from the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...os-to-abdicate

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27662301

Historical moment.

Down mainly to health problems.

He had a good press for many years but it went a bit pear shaped more recently.

Just wondered, is it normal in Spain to hand over the throne while still alive ?


"Bet Charles is on the phone to mother, asking her views on the subject."
One of the comments,.... hope it's not true.

I wonder what the Prince of Wales is thinking....

Yes, it does seem very common, either they abdicate or get deposed, relatively few seem to run the whole course!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...2.80.931939.29

This might answer your question in El Pais. Apparently it needs a "ley organica" which has never been called upon for this sort of thing. Having said that, Alfonso XIII abdicated in 1931.
Will be an interesting time for students of law.

http://politica.elpais.com/politica/...22_428565.html

Lets hope Liz considers too (not !) I have mixed feelings.

Everytime there is a article about King Juan, the Daily mail has to always quote ' who is rumoured to have slept with 1500 women' *& alleged affair with our own late Diana !

Still that's only half of Julio Iglesias and 4% of Fidel Castro !

I was surprised the BBC pushed him into second place behind Saville,(500 hundred victims incl a 2 yr old child), but at least he came out ahead of Rolf Harris.

On the plus side they came up with a very interesting interview with Paul Preston regarding the many likely reasons and thinking behind the abdication.

This referred not only to the King's health, but also the major corruption scandals with possibly more to follow ?........also mention of how the social fabric of Spanish society has been destroyed due to the seriousness of the crisis and the need for the country to make a fresh start.

I think its been coming for a long time, like you say more to follow - it seems maybe for the media finally the gloves are off !

Interesting how he mentioned it's time for a younger generation.....sounds like it could be a reference to the current political people who have scammed & stolen for all these years. I agree, could be gloves off time for the press. What's next.....the new king coming out the closet? lol

There is a irony to comparison with Saville, the decline of support !

Had Carlos not ordered the army to remain in barracks during the attempted Francoist coup who know what direction modern Spain would have taken.

Protest today, people calling for a referendum on whether or not there should be a future Royal family.

I saw that but I never read into it, is it 8mil people on the street tonight in Madrid ?

He had no choice. Recent studies have shown that he was advised to take the stand that he did precisely for that reason. During his life he lived with and sucked up to the mass murderer Franco who he has always said that he would never criticize - see the famous ITV interview with Selina Scott.

Since the transition he's done nothing more than fill his own pockets at the public's expense and turned himself from being a pauper into being one of the richest men in Europe. The real story of this fortune building is still to come out, but it will. Just like the scandals around his daughter La Infanta Cristina and her greedy husband who both made a fortune out of using(abusing) a charity set up to help handicapped children. Nice, eh?

So, give it a rest with all this "he's a good guy" bullshit !

20:00 republican demos in the main squares in Spain
- Alicante: 20:00 , Mercado Central.
- Barcelona: 20:00, Pl. Catalunya.
- Castellón: 19:30, Plaza Mayor.
- Elche: 20:00, Plaça de Baix
- Gijón: 20:00, Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
- Madrid: 20:00, Puerta del Sol.
- Málaga: 20:00, Plaza de la Constitución.
- Oviedo: 20:00, Plaza de la Escandalera
- Sevilla: 20:30, Plaza Nueva.