The Spanish Royal Family

The British royal family is one of the most famous royal families in the world. Everyone knows the numerous British "Royal" traditions. Spain also has a royal family with a rich history.

Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbn y de Grecia (also called Felipe VI), king of Spain since June the 19th 2014) is the third child of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia. Because the Spanish throne prefers to have male rulers over female rulers, Felipe was chosen in the line of successors and not one of his two older sisters.

The Spanish royal family has a long history. By 1500, several kings were in charge of current Spain. They all had their own territory to rule. Especially the kings of Castile and Aragon were very powerful. When these powerful families, because of various marriages were merged slowly but steady Spain as we know it was created.

After that, it remained quiet for a long time. There was prosperity and kings successfully followed each other. Until the first Spanish republic was proclaimed in 1873. This proclamation only lasted two years. Then the kingdom was restored when General Arsenio Martnez Campos supported Alfonso XII. After the government fell apart, Alfonso XII was proclaimed king.

In the 30s of the last century, a second Spanish republic emerged. This started a long and difficult period in Spain. On April 14, 1931 King Alfonso XIII abdicated and the second Spanish Republic was proclaimed (as a distinct of the First Spanish Republic). On April 1, 1939 General Franco became the ruler of Spain. In 1947 he let Spain known that they would become a monarchy again. However, he refused Juan de Borbn, Count of Barcelona, ??to take the throne. In 1969, Franco declared that Juan Carlos, the son of the Count of Barcelona would be the next successor. After the death of Franco in 1975, Juan Carlos became the next king of Spain.

Spain was a kingdom again. King Juan Carlos reigned until his son took over in 2014.