<P> As Commander - in - Chief of the armed forces, the king holds the highest - ranking office in the military chain of command . The king's ranks include Captain General of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force . The king is the only officer in the military to hold this 5 - star General rank . The king takes a keen interest in all aspects of military policy as evidenced by "his direct participation in the life of the Spanish Armed Forces". The king's participation in Spanish military life stems from his constitutional duty to "arbitrate and moderate" the regular working of state institutions . Serving in the armed forces is considered an expectation of the heir apparent, and Juan Carlos served in the various branches of the armed forces before he became king . Likewise, Felipe, as Prince of Asturias, has served in the armed forces . </P> <P> The monarch has made his desire for a strong rapport with the armed forces clear in speeches to his officer corp: </P> <P> I do not feel a stranger in your company, and my functions are not limited to being your king and to holding the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces . I am also your companion...I feel one more among you...because my youth has been formed, as yours and with many of you, in military academies where virtues are praised and qualities infused which are not modified by time or by the changes that may occur in society (...) In my heart, in all my being, side by side with my love for the country, palpitates military spirit, and I feel always identified with my companions in the army, with your concerns, your sorrows, your satisfactions and your hopes . So when I see you joyful, I am joyful . When I feel You sad, I am sad . And all, absolutely all of your worries, all absolutely all of your problems gravitate on your king and Captain General - your companion - with the same intensity that is felt by you . </P> <P> Prior to the Spanish financial crisis from 2008, the monarchy traditionally enjoyed wide support and popularity by Spanish citizens since its constitutional restoration in 1978, according to Fernando Villespin, president of the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS, English: Sociological Research Center) in 2008 . According to Villespin, the king's traditional approval rating of over 70% through the years consistently out - performed those of elected political leaders, with a similar percentage of respondents considering that the king played an important role in maintaining Spanish democracy . Public trust in Juan Carlos' kingship "comes only behind that of the National Ombudsman", Villespin continued . Members of the royal family were routinely voted among the most respected public figures in Spain, and in 2010 as many as 75% of Spanish citizens ranked the monarchy as "above any other public institution in the country", according to Dr Juan Díez - Nicolás, a former president of the CIS and founder of the private consulting firm ASEP (Análisis Sociológicos Económicos y Políticos). The CIS, a non-partisan government funded independent research institution, has been researching public opinion of the monarchy since 1984 and tracks three basic lines of inquiry; what is public confidence in the monarchy, what is the role of the monarchy in a democratic system, and to what degree has the king contributed to the democratic process . </P>

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