It may look like a man signing papers to buy an especially expensive car, but this is, in fact, King Juan Carlos of Spain (left) handing his abdication letter to his country’s Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy.
The Royal Family published this photo on Twitter, along with the king’s letter itself:
It reads, according to our fractured Spanish: “As per constitutional precedents, in this letter which I have read, signed and handed to the President of the Government, I communicate my decision to abdicate the Crown of Spain.”
It’s not a done deal yet: they still have to hash out a few constitutional details. But the letter really says it all.
Afterwards it was handshakes and polite smiles. That’s how you give up the Kingdom of Spain these days: not with a bang, but a Twitter.
See our biography of King Juan Carlos of Spain »