That would explain the broken hip 
It’s also used in English, although for some reason (heh) I see it mostly coming from the SW of the US. To cuckold someone = to give horns to someone. And if your horns are as large as Queen Sofia’s, you wear grooves in the ceiling.
As for abdicating being a tradition: not in the Spanish royal house, even though both Don Juan and Alfonso XIII abdicated. Alfonso didn’t abdicate on his son Don Juan, but give up the throne altogether; Don Juan, as has been mentioned, had to be convinced to abdicate in his son so Juan Carlos could in turn get it back (there was simply no way Franco would restore the monarchy in Don Juan; in a young prince raised by himself, on the other hand…). The political manoeuvering involved in moving young Juanito from his parents’ household to Franco’s, and then in convincing Franco that Juan Carlos would respect his “well-tied ties”, appears to have been something that would have had Machiavello howling with glee.
The Kings of the Belgians (not Kings of Belgium) are, however, descended from Queen Victoria’s mother’s brother. Leopold was also a potential British royal consort, because his first wife was Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only legitimate child of the British King George IV, but she died in childbirth, which sent the Hanover family scurrying for legitimate marriages, one of which produced Victoria.
Snort.
The very first thing I thought of when I read about it on the BBC web site.
Well at least future generations won’t misremember her for dying while fornicating a horse.
Jeeze, that would be embarrassing.
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One of her predecessors did: George II, her great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
Hey, dying on the throne was good enough for the King…
What about the ruling house of Sweden? I know the dynasty had non-aristocratic origins (they were founded by a French officer in Napoleon’s army who was elected to the Swedish throne), but maybe they married into Victoria’s family afterward?
No connection to the British Royal Family that I see: Monarchy of Sweden - Wikipedia
Oops! The current King of Sweden’s predecessor and grandfather married a granddaughter of Queen Victoria:
They have a good looking princess, sister to the current crown princess, who could catch Harry’s eye!
If you mean HRH Princess Madeleine, then she’s indeed good-looking but also taken. :smack: Catching Harry’s eye is OK if that’s all that’s caught. 
The present King of Norway also descends from Queen Maud, another granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
So did Catherine, actually.
And even then I believe some are still related through other families. I think it’s safe to say that most of European royals are one big, if not happy, family.
And his second wife was Queen Victoria’s GREAT-granddaughter! (And Prince Phillip’s aunt)
In surprised that sophisticated Europeans care about the king’s sex life.
ninja’d
What did the king do on a day-to-day basis? I know that Spain is a constitutional monarchy, so he wasn’t spending hours adjudicating issue after issue every day, and it’s not likely that he was working 9-5 doing policy research and whatnot. What was his schedule like? I assume that he gets (or got) regular briefings on national security, economics, etc., and was also expected to schmooze around quite a bit with ambassadors, etc. and go to lots of lavish dinners. Is that pretty much it?
Well, he had to produce heirs, but that seems to have been accomplished.
Here’s an overview - it’s a somewhat robust monarchy, as European kingships go: Monarchy of Spain - Wikipedia
Looks like the new king will, as expected, become Felipe VI: Coronation of Prince Felipe to take place on June 19 | Spain | EL PAÍS English