Monarch says he is proud of country's transition to democracy but son Felipe has the maturity to 'open a new era of hope' 
 
 After 39 years on the throne, King Juan Carlos of Spain will abdicate in favour of his son Crown Prince Felipe, the king said in a televised address on Monday. 
 
 Hours after the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, broke the news, the king explained his decision on Spanish television and radio. He highlighted his pride in the "transformation of Spain" and the "tremendous amount achieved by all" since the country's transition into democracy. 
 
 "Today, when I look back, I cannot help but feel pride and gratitude towards all of you," he said. 
 
 Felipe and his wife, Letizia. Photograph: Ignacio Lopez/EPA 
 
 The decision to step down, he said, was made after his 76th birthday in January. His son Felipe, he assured Spaniards, "has the maturity, preparation, and sense of responsibility necessary to assume the title of head of state and open a new era of hope which combines the experience and momentum of a new generation." 
 
 Once one of the world's most popular monarchs, more recently Juan Carlos has been plagued by a series of scandals that have sent his popularity plummeting. A poll by El Mundo last year found that nearly two-thirds of Spaniards thought the king should abdicate. 
 
 In contrast, Prince Felipe, a former Olympic yachtsman, has come out relatively unscathed. Frequently photographed while taking their two daughters to school or at shopping malls, Felipe and his wife Letizia Ortiz - a former television news anchor - have cultivated an image of leading a relatively modest lifestyle. 
 
 Fluent in English, French and Catalan along with Spanish, Felipe studied for a year in Canada before undertaking three years of military training in Spain's army, navy and air force academy. A law degree in Madrid soon followed, as well as a Masters in international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, DC 
 
 "His goal, his only goal, is to serve Spain. It has been deeply ingrained in him that he must be the country's main servant," his mother Queen Sofia once said. 
 
 Carlos and his wife Princess Sophia of Greece in Athens during their wedding. Photograph: Ho/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 The poll showing rising public support for Juan Carlos to abdicate was a stunning reversal for a leader who in 2012, had earned the approval of almost 80% of Spaniards. Taking the throne just two days after the death of Franco in 1975, Juan Carlos won the respect of Spaniards by steering the country from dictatorship to democracy, including foiling a coup attempt in 1981. 
 
 But as Spain fell into financial crisis, the king's standing sank. A particularly low point came when it was revealed that he had taken a luxurious trip to Botswana to hunt elephants, just weeks after telling a reporter that he was so distraught about the growing ranks of the unemployed that he was having trouble sleeping. 
 
 King Juan Carlos on his €10,000-a-day hunting safari in Botswana, which had been hushed up before he fell and broke his hip. Photograph: Target Press/Barcroft Media 
 
 The royal family's image was further tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into the king's daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband Iñaki Urdangarin. 
 
 Many, particularly young Spaniards, began to see the king as part of Spain's problems, drawing parallels between him and the economic and political powers that had driven the country into the economic crisis. While the king's approval rating dropped steadily, that of his son Felipe remained stable at around 66%, leading many to suggest that the monarchy would be better off if the king abdicated. 
 
 In Monday's announcement, Rajoy praised Juan Carlos, calling him a "tireless defender of our interests". He added: "I'm convinced this is the best moment for change." 
 
 Spain is now expected to change its constitution to make sure Felipe's first-born daughter Leonor can succeed him. 
 
 The royal family has said its wants the change to ensure she is next in line to the throne in the event that Felipe's wife gets pregnant again and gives birth to a boy, who would become monarch under the current constitution. 
 
 Analysts say that could open the door to political negotiations for additional proposed constitutional changes, including demands by the leading opposition Socialist Party to grant Catalonia more autonomy or special financial benefits to ease separatist feelings. 
 
 Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia, declared that the king's abdication would not derail his plans to hold the vote asking Catalans whether they want to secede from Spain. "We have a date with our future on 9 November," Mas told reporters after the king gave his speech. 
 
 Rajoy's government must now pass a law creating a legal mechanism for Felipe's assumption of power, which will then allow Juan Carlos to set a date for his formal abdication. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption King Juan Carlos said his son Prince Felipe would "open a new era of hope" 
 
 King Juan Carlos of Spain has announced his intention to abdicate, after nearly 40 years on the throne. 
 
 "A new generation must be at the forefront... younger people with new energies," the 76-year-old king said in a televised address. 
 
 His son, Crown Prince Felipe, 45, will take over the throne. 
 
 For much of his reign, Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world's most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him. 
 
 His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into the business dealings of his daughter and her husband. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption King Juan Carlos, 76, has had health problems in recent years 
 
 Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in April 2012, in the middle of Spain's financial crisis. 
 
 The first announcement about the abdication came from Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who told reporters: "His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession." 
 
 Later, the king himself said in a televised address that it was time for a "new era" in which a new generation could take on the transformations and reforms required. 
 
 He said his son, Prince Felipe, had the maturity and preparation to be king. 
 
 Left-wing groups have called for protests in support of a referendum on the future of the monarchy, with the El Pais newspaper quoting police as saying some 20,000 people have gathered in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. 
 
 Several thousand people were also reported to have gathered in the Barcelona in the Placa Catalunya square, some carrying large Catalan flags. 
 
 Analysis: Tom Burridge, BBC Madrid correspondent 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Prince Felipe will take over from his father 
 
 King Juan Carlos' abdication will be a surprise to most people in Spain, but not a shock. 
 
 At the beginning of this year, before his youngest daughter appeared in court in a major corruption investigation, the Spanish media was awash with speculation about the king's future. 
 
 But royal officials had said abdication was not an option and that the king's popularity was improving after a clear decline in the polls. They insisted that his mobility was also getting better, after several operations to his hips. 
 
 The royal household has always been keen for any decision over abdication to not come in the wake of intense media pressure. That is because Republicanism is a relatively potent force in Spain. 
 
 Royal officials are describing this as a "personal" decision, which the king has been considering ever since his 76th birthday in January. 
 
 Spain does not have a precise law regulating abdication and royal succession, and Mr Rajoy said ministers would hold a special meeting to discuss the process by which the prince would take over as Felipe VI. 
 
 The prime minister said Juan Carlos had been a "tireless defender of our interests". 
 
 "I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," he added. 
 
 Pivotal role 
 
 Juan Carlos took the throne on the death of General Francisco Franco, the right-wing dictator who ruled for 36 years after his victory over Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War. 
 
 The king became Spain's first crowned head of state for 44 years. 
 
 But he soon ignored Franco's supporters, who wanted an extension to autocratic rule, and ushered in a new system of parliamentary monarchy. 
 
 As the years went on the king involved himself less in day-to-day politics, and became more of a figurehead. 
 
 Image copyright BBC ( Ignacio de los Reyes) Image caption The king said in his announcement that he looked back on his reign with "pride and gratitude" 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Juan Carlos (l) became king two days after the death of General Franco (r) 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption A legal investigation into Princess Cristina and her husband has tarnished the king's image 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption But Prince Felipe and his wife have seen their popularity rise in recent years 
 
 He has been credited as a stabilising force for independence-minded areas such as Catalonia and the Basque region, and he also helped defuse an attempted coup in 1981. 
 
 Until a few years ago his popularity was high, but the hunting trip and corruption allegations involving his youngest daughter, Cristina, and her husband Inaki Urdangarin, led to calls for him to step aside. 
 
 The king's son and successor, Felipe, appears to have been untarnished by the scandal. 
 
 Felipe and his wife - former television presenter Princess Letizia - have recently taken on more important roles in ceremonial events. 
 
 Recent European Abdications 
 
 June 2014: King Juan Carlos of Spain steps down, saying he is passing the role to a younger, energised generation. 
 
 July 2013: Belgian King Albert II abdicates in favour of his son, Philippe, for health reasons. 
 
 April 2013: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands hands the throne to her son Prince Willem-Alexander, saying he is ready to reign and it is time for the throne to be held by "a new generation". 
 
 But the BBC's Ignacio del los Reyes, in Spain, says there is still concern over whether the couple will be able to save a damaged institution. 
 
 On social networks, people are already asking whether it is time for Spain to become a republic, and some parties are calling for constitutional reform and a popular vote to pave the way for this change. 
 
 But the two main parties in parliament remain loyal to the monarchy, our correspondent says.
– At 76, Spain's King Juan Carlos is abdicating after four decades, handing the throne to his son, Prince Felipe. "A new generation must be at the forefront," he said in a nationally televised address. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the move today, calling on the courts to name Felipe king, the Guardian reports. Rajoy called the king "a tireless defender of our interests," citing personal reasons for his departure; he has faced recent health problems. Juan Carlos has long been among the world's most popular monarchs, the BBC notes, but recent years have seen their fair share of controversy. In 2012, the king sparked anger with an extravagant elephant-hunting trip to Botswana as Spain was embroiled in its financial crisis. He has also grappled allegations of corruption faced by his daughter and her husband; that scandal doesn't seem to have affected Felipe's reputation, the BBC reports. Juan Carlos was crowned in 1975 following dictator Francisco Franco's death. Though Franco's supporters called for continued autocratic government, the king led a transition to parliamentary democracy, the BBC notes.