MADRID (AP) Spain' King Juan Carlos will undergo the second part of an operation on his hip on Nov. 21, the royal palace said Monday, in what will be his sixth surgery in less than two years.
The 75-year-old monarch had a hip prosthesis removed Sept. 24 after it
developed an infection. Doctors said he would need further surgery to complete the operation.
The latest health problem triggered suggestions it was time for the king to abdicate in favor of his son, Crown Prince Felipe, but that was ruled out by the palace.
The monarch's popularity has dipped in recent years following scandals, including an elephant shooting trip in the middle of Spain's financial crisis, that have tarnished the royal family's image.
The king's son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, who is married to the king's second daughter, Princess Cristina, is under investigation on suspicion of having used his position to embezzle several million dollars in public contracts assigned to a supposedly nonprofit foundation he set up.
