Spain's King Juan Carlos trips and falls

Madrid: Spain's King Juan Carlos has tripped and fallen while visiting army headquarters in Madrid, but the 74-year-old monarch did not appear to be seriously hurt.

Thursday's accident occurred on a stone staircase, and the king got up and carried on with his duties, although his nose appeared red and sore, a spokesman for the Royal Palace said on condition of anonymity, in keeping with regulations.

In April, the monarch underwent hip replacement surgery after tripping on stairs and fracturing bones while on an elephant hunting trip in Botswana. The safari was widely criticised in Spain as exorbitant during the country's economic crisis, and the king apologised.