[attach id=246265 size="medium"]Spain’s King Juan Carlos waves to reporters after being released from hospital after a back operation in Madrid. Photo: Reuters[/attach]

Public opinion in Spain has turned against King Juan Carlos in favour of his son Felipe, an opinion poll revealed yesterday, showing the toll taken on the king by gaffes, friendships with young women and royal family corruption allegations.

The survey for El Pais newspaper showed 53 per cent disapproved of the 75-year-old king, giving him an overall approval-versus-disapproval rating of -11, compared to +21 in December. Prince Felipe’s rating also fell but remained broadly favourable at +28, compared to +37 in December.

Juan Carlos’s jet-set lifestyle and close friendships with young women, as well as a corruption investigation centred on his son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin, have left weary Spaniards sick of their royal family.

The poll was carried out before Princess Cristina, Urdangarin’s wife, was charged last Wednesday with helping her husband in crimes that include fraud, tax evasion and embezzling €6 million of public funds from a charity.

By contrast, Felipe, 45, has not been touched by any of the royal family’s scandals, and has benefitted from an image as an active promoter of Spain. A poll in January found 45 per cent of Spaniards wanted the King to hand over to him.

The King led the country’s transition to democracy in the 1970s and won huge popular support after defusing an attempted coup in the 1981, but has increasingly appeared out of touch in a country with 26 per cent unemployment.

His image was hurt when it was discovered that he had been elephant hunting in Botswana last April when Spain was looking close to requesting international financial aid.