Felipe VI sworn in as Spain’s king

Spain has a new king after Felipe Vi was officially sworn in as the country’s monarch on Thursday (19Jun14). The 46 year old, whose former title was Prince of Asturias, has replaced his father King Juan Carlos as Spain’s head of state.
The retiring monarch handed over the throne to his only son at midnight and he was formally sworn in during a ceremony at the Cortes Generales parliament building in Madrid on Thursday morning.
He said, “I swear to carry out my duties faithfully, to conserve and ensure the conservation of the Constitution and the law and to respect the rights of the citizens and regions.”
The new king was then driven through the streets of the capital to greet his subjects alongside his wife, Queen Letizia.
Juan Carlos I of Spain announced his decision to abdicate after 39 years earlier this month (Jun14). He took to the throne in 1975 and reintroduced democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco.