Juan Carlos Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón is the king of Spain, ruling from 1975 to the present. He was chosen as a successor by Spain's dictator of four decades, General Francisco Franco, and was crowned king following Franco's death, restoring his lineage to the throne, broken since his grandfather's deposing in 1931. He presided over Spain's transformation from a dictatorship to a constitutional monarchy.
In 1931 the second republic was proclaimed in Spain, and King Alfonso XIII and his family went into exile in Rome. In 1938, Juan Carlos was born, and he lived in Rome until he reached 10 years of age. At this point, his father decided that he should go to Spain to be educated, and so he was placed under the care of General Franco.
In Spain, he studied at Spain's military academies, studied at the University of Madrid, and studied the functions of government. In 1969 he was named Franco's successor and after Franco's death in 1975, he became king. He was popular with the Spanish public, and his politics were entirely different from those of Franco; he presided over the writing of a constitution and the declaration of democracy in Spain.
Immediately upon gaining power, Juan Carlos declared his intention to bring democracy to Spain, and his actions followed his words; the conversion to a democratic nation began with laws declaring basic human rights, allowing political discussion, and pardoning those convicted of political crimes under Franco. On June 15th, 1977, two years after Juan Carlos' accession to the throne, Spain's first free elections were held. In 1978, Spain's constitution was drafted, and put to the people for approval, who ratified it on December 6th, 1978. The constitution is very progressive, granting a wide degree of regional freedom and very much rejecting the tyranny of the Franco era. During the following few years, Spain's autonomous communities drafted their statutes of autonomy and elected their parliaments.
In 1981, right-wing forces attempted to wrest control of Spain's government; Juan Carlos successfully defended Spain. He exercised his status as commander-in-chief of Spain's armies, ordering the troops involved to stand down, which they did, due to the overwhelming support of Spain's populace for its government.
In 1962, Juan Carlos married Princess Sophia of Greece, and they moved to Madrid's Palacio de la Zarzuela, where they still reside. A year after, Princess Elena, the first of their three children, was born. She was followed by Princess Cristina two years later, and in 1968 by Prince Felipe, who at the age of 18 was declared to be Juan Carlos' heir.
The entire royal family has remained quite popular throughout Juan Carlos' reign; Juan Carlos is perhaps more beloved than most of Europe's other monarchs. His family enjoys greater public approval than that of England. His high regard is natural, given his commitment to Spain and her people. | 
