Apparently, the 76 year-old King Juan Carlos of Spain has told Rafael Spottorno, Chief of the Royal Household, that he decided to abdicate because he did not want his son to ‘wither’ and ‘grow old waiting for the throne like Prince Charles’. As a result, he announced that he would hand over to his 46 year-old heir, Crown Prince Felipe (right). In a televised address, the old King, who has ruled since 1975, said he wanted to herald in a ‘new era of hope’ and ensure a ‘younger generation… with new energies’ could take over the helm.Rafael said that the King, whose popularity has slumped in recent years following a series of scandals, had been considering abdicating since his 75th birthday in January last year. He told the Spanish daily newspaper, 'El Mundo' that : ‘He saw, above all, that his son was in his prime and didn’t want to see him like Prince Charles who will be 66 years old in November.'
It cannot be overlooked, however, that there might be political motivation behind the abdication because the King's popularity has nosedived amid accusations of being out of touch as his country struggles with its worst economic crisis in memory. In addition in 2012, he was widely criticised for going on a secret hunting trip to Botswana to shoot elephants with the lavish holiday contrasting with the news at home that one in four Spanish workers was jobless.
Prince Charles has been 'heir apparent' for 62 years and four months, longer than any other heir apparent in British history. It was June 2, 1953 when, at the age of four, he watched his mother being crowned in Westminster Abbey and the tv cameras caught him tugging frequently at the sleeve of his Grandmother, to ask "what it all meant ?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtL4THlDzHo
In his long wait for the throne Charles, overtook Edward VII in 2008, who inherited the throne from his mother Victoria who had reigned for 66 years and then reigned for only nine brief years before his own death in 1910. Queen Elizabeth will equal Victoria's record in 2018 when Charles will be an old man of 70.
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Prince Charles has been 'heir apparent' for 62 years and four months, longer than any other heir apparent in British history. It was June 2, 1953 when, at the age of four, he watched his mother being crowned in Westminster Abbey and the tv cameras caught him tugging frequently at the sleeve of his Grandmother, to ask "what it all meant ?"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtL4THlDzHo
In his long wait for the throne Charles, overtook Edward VII in 2008, who inherited the throne from his mother Victoria who had reigned for 66 years and then reigned for only nine brief years before his own death in 1910. Queen Elizabeth will equal Victoria's record in 2018 when Charles will be an old man of 70.
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