MADRID (AP) — Spain's King Juan Carlos has arrived at a hospital in Madrid to undergo hip surgery to give him greater mobility.
The king smiled from the front passenger seat of a chauffeured car and joked with a large group of journalists that had gathered at the entrance to the Quiron San Jose hospital on Friday.
Juan Carlos told government leaders gathered at the Iberoamerican Summit last week he had to "go back to the workshop."
The 74-year-old monarch will have the operation on his left hip. In April he was flown back from a controversial elephant hunting safari in southern Africa after fracturing his right hip joint.
The king has had several health issues in the past two years, including knee surgery and the removal of a benign lung tumor.
