His Majesty King D. Juan Carlos I, of Spain (b. on 5 January, 1938, in Rome)
The son of H.R.H. D. Juan de Borbon y Battenberg, Count of Barcelona and Head of the Royal House of Spain and H.R.H. D. Maria de las Mercedes de Borbon y Orleans and grandson of H.M. King D. Alfonso XIII.His Majesty married H.M. Queen Sofia, born Princess of Greece and Denmark, in Athens, on 2nd November 1938, daughter of H.M. King Paul I of Greece and Queen Frederica, born Princess Frederica of Hannover.
Prince D. Juan Carlos was educated in Spain – the Royal Family living in Portugal – and was proclaimed King of Spain after Francisco Franco’s death, on 22dn November 1975. He then started the complicated process of introducing democracy in Spain through the active support of reforms led his appointed new Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez which included the legalization of political parties, the first general democratic elections and the approval of a new Constitution in 1978. His role in the attempted coup d’état on 23 February 1981 was paramount to democracy in Spain by proclaiming his unambiguous support for the legitimate democratic government.
See Biography
This very simple bookplate bearing the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, of which H. M. is Chief and Sovereign, with his monogram surmounted by the Royal Crown is used in the books of H. M.’s private Library.
Bibliography: Bouza, Antonio L., El Ex-Libris Tratado general. Su historia en la coroña española, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional, 1990.
