King of Spain Juan Carlos renounced the throne

King of Spain Juan Carlos renounces the throne in favor of his son - Prince Felipe, reports Reuters with reference to the statement of Prime Minister Mariano Rahaya.

"His Majesty Juan Carlos just informed me of his decision to renounce the throne. This confirms that the Spaniards live in an atmosphere of peace and freedom. This will give a new impetus to the development of our democracy. He (Juan Carlos) was a constant defender of our interests, I hope that in the near future the Spanish lawmakers will be able to approve the candidacy of the prince Asturian Felipe as his successor," - told Raha.

Juan Carlos has been on the throne for 39 years. In 1975, he came to power after the death of Francisco Franco and resisted an attempt by a coup d'etat, arranged by the military, who wanted to restore the French regime.

Recently, the royal family has been in the center of several corruption scandals. Against the youngest daughter of the King of Spain, Christina and her spouse were charged with corruption.