Editing Juan Carlos I (section)

== Prince of Spain ==
{{See also|Prince of Spain}}
[[File:In Madrid is herdacht dat Franco 30 jaar geleden de burgeroorlog ( 1936 1939 ) w, Bestanddeelnr 922-4913 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Juan Carlos and [[Francisco Franco]] in 1969]]
The dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco came to power during the [[Spanish Civil War]], which pitted a government of democrats, anarchists, socialists, and communists, supported by the Soviet Union and international volunteers, against a rebellion of conservatives, monarchists, nationalists, and fascists, supported by both Hitler and Mussolini, with the rebels ultimately winning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://libro.uca.edu/payne2/payne26.htm |title=Chapter 26: A History of Spain and Portugal vol. 2 |publisher=Libro.uca.edu |access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref> Franco's authoritarian government remained dominant in Spain until the 1960s. With Franco's increasing age, left-wing protests increased, while at the same time, the far right factions demanded the return of a hardline [[absolute monarchy]]. At the time, the heir to the throne of Spain was Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, the son of King Alfonso XIII.<ref name="Bernecker">{{cite journal |last=Bernecker |first=Walther |title=Monarchy and Democracy: The Political Role of King Juan Carlos in the Spanish ''Transición'' |journal=Journal of Contemporary History |date=January 1998 |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=65–84|doi=10.1177/003200949803300104 |s2cid=157966975 }}</ref> However, Franco viewed him with extreme suspicion, believing him to be a liberal who was opposed to his regime.<ref>{{cite web |title=The reign in Spain of King Juan Carlos |url=http://www.thewhig.com/2014/01/10/the-reign-in-spain-of-king-juan-carlos |website=TheWhig.com |publisher=The Kingston Whig-Standard |access-date=3 June 2014}}</ref>

Juan Carlos's first cousin [[Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz]], was also briefly considered as a candidate. Alfonso was known to be an ardent Francoist and married Franco's granddaughter, Doña [[María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco]], in 1972.<ref>{{cite book |last=Powell |first=Charles |title=Juan Carlos of Spain |publisher=MacMillan Press |series=St Anthony's Series |date=1996 |location=Oxford, UK |pages=1–5, 9, 13–14, 27–28, 50–51, 221–222 |isbn=0-333-54726-8}}</ref>

Ultimately, Franco decided to skip a generation and name Infante Juan Carlos as his personal successor. Franco hoped the young prince could be groomed to take over the nation while still maintaining the ultraconservative and authoritarian nature of his regime.<ref name="Bernecker" /> In 1969, Juan Carlos was officially designated [[heir-apparent]] and was given the new title of [[Prince of Spain]] (not the traditional [[Prince of Asturias]]).<ref name="Bernecker" /> As a condition of being named heir-apparent, he was required to swear loyalty to Franco's [[Movimiento Nacional]], which he did with little outward hesitation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Juan Carlos I jura como sucesor de Franco |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od01GvIdS_s | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/Od01GvIdS_s| archive-date=2021-10-28|access-date=3 June 2014 |date=22 July 1969 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> His choice was ratified by the Spanish parliament on 22 July 1969.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://marcaespana.es/en/instituciones-historia/historia/articulos/142/the-years-of-the-franco-regime |title=Marca España &#124; The years of the Franco regime |publisher=Marcaespana.es |access-date=10 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606233511/http://marcaespana.es/en/instituciones-historia/historia/articulos/142/the-years-of-the-franco-regime |archive-date=6 June 2014}}</ref>

Juan Carlos met and consulted Franco many times while heir apparent and often took part in official and ceremonial state functions, standing alongside the dictator, much to the anger of hardline republicans and more moderate liberals, who hoped that Franco's death would bring in an era of reform. During 1969–1975, Juan Carlos publicly supported Franco's regime. Although Franco's health worsened during those years, whenever he did appear in public, from state dinners to military parades, it was in Juan Carlos's company. However, as the years progressed, Juan Carlos began meeting secretly with political opposition leaders and exiles, who were fighting to bring liberal reform to the country. He also had secret conversations with his father over the telephone. Franco, for his part, remained largely oblivious to the prince's actions and denied allegations from his ministers and advisors that Juan Carlos was in any way disloyal to his vision of the regime.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chislett |first=William |title=Spain: What Everyone Needs to Know |chapter=The Transition to Democracy 1975–1982 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | date=2013 |chapter-url=http://www.transicion.org/En/archivos/Spains_Transition.pdf |isbn=978-0-19-993646-5}}</ref>

During periods of Franco's temporary incapacity in 1974 and 1975, Juan Carlos was [[List of Spanish regents|acting head of state]]. On 30 October 1975, Franco gave full control to Juan Carlos.<ref name="Bernecker" /> According to declassified CIA reports, during this time Juan Carlos secretly acquiesced and arranged with King [[Hassan II of Morocco]] the terms of the so-called [[Green March]],<ref name=esp /> the partial invasion of the [[Spanish Sahara]] by Moroccan civilians, followed by the [[Madrid Accords]] handing over the control of the territory to Morocco and [[Mauritania]].<ref name=esp>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elespanol.com/espana/20170120/187482258_0.html|website=[[El Español]]|title=Juan Carlos pactó en secreto los términos de la Marcha Verde con Hassan II|date=21 January 2017|first1=Gonzalo|last1=Araluce|first2=Jorge|last2=Sáinz}}</ref>