DHAKA: Spanish King Juan Carlos will abdicate in favour of his son Prince Felipe, the nation announced on Monday, ending a 39-year reign that ushered in democracy but was later battered by royal scandals.

The 76-year-old monarch, crowned in November 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco, is stepping down dogged by health woes and with his popularity deeply eroded by scandals swirling around him and his family.

‘His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession,’ prime minister Mariano Rajoy said in a surprise announcement to the media.

The king hands over the throne to his 46-year-old son, Prince Felipe de Borbon, a 1.98-metre tall former Olympic yachtsman, who has been relatively unscathed by the scandals that battered the rest of the family.

BDST: 1620 HRS, JUNE 02, 2014