Spain's General Franco, ill in hospital in Madrid, is reported to have made a striking improvement yesterday (Saturday, July 20) -- just 24 hours after handing over temporarily as head of state to his designated successor, Prince Juan Carlos.

The Prince and his wife were among the visitors who went to see the 81-year-old General yesterday. Earlier, there had been reports that the General was suffering from internal bleeding.

But yesterday the hospital announced that this had been checked and the "acute" state of the illness had passed. General Franco was able to take food again, and was even able to make several short walks in the hospital.

Prince Juan Carlos, during his first full day as interim head of state, spent nearly an hour with the General. He had no other official duties scheduled.

SYNOPSIS: Spaniards got accustomed to the idea of a new head of state on Friday. The previous day General Franco, supreme ruler of Spain since the Civil War ended in 1939, had temporarily handed over power to Prince Juan Carlos. His decision followed a deterioration of his condition in hospital, where he'd been receiving treatment for twelve days. Throughout Friday, people waited outside the clinic for further bulletins. Earlier reports had spoken of the eighty-one-year-old General suffering from internal bleeding.

Among the visitors to the hospital -- Prince Juan Carlos and his wife. The Prince, during his first full day as interim head of state, spent nearly an hour with General Franco. He had no other official engagements.

General Franco's wife was also there. And during the day, doctors attending the General spoke of a pronounced improvement in his condition. The internal bleeding had been stopped and the General had passed the acute stage of his illness. Visitors to the hospital discovered that General Franco was again able to take food, and he was even able to make short walks in the hospital.

General Franco had prepared carefully for his succession. Prince Juan Carlos becomes temporary head of state under legislation passed three years ago, empowering the General to hand over to the Prince if he fell ill or was absent from Spain. The Prince will only become King of Spain when he permanently replaces General Franco as chief of state.