Abdication in Spain
Spain’s King Juan Carlos has become the third European monarch to abdicate the throne in the last 18 months.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was the first of the recent abdications, passing the crown to her son, Willem-Alexander.
A few months later Belgium’s Albert II, then 78, also stood down, enabling his son Philippe to take over.
Has the new abdication of the Spanish king confirmed a pattern among the crowned heads of Europe? And what does this mean for our Head of State?
We discuss the latest developments with the Queen’s former private secretary Dickie Arbiter.