Workers have begun exhuming the remains of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco from a state mausoleum outside Madrid.

Franco’s remains have lain at the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen) mausoleum, around 65km from the Spanish capital, since his death in 1975.

He ruled Spain between 1939 and 1975 after leading a rebellion against the country’s democratic government.

Although the Valley of the Fallen officially serves as a memoriam for those killed during the civil war, many people in country have warned that it glorifies Franco’s dictatorship.

The decision to remove his remains follows a 2007 law which said they should not be allowed to lie anywhere that exalts him as a political figure.

A view of the Valley of the Fallen Mausoleum near El Escorial, Spain, 24-10-2019. Image: AP Photo/Emilio Naranjo, Pool

The Historical Memory Law sought redress for the estimated 100,000 victims of his dictatorship.

Around 34,000 of them are buried at the Valley of the Fallen.

The media and public are barred from attending today’s exhumation – with 22 members of his family gathered at the basilica alongside the Spanish Justice Minister Dolores Delgado.

Workers are currently removing the 1.5 tonne slab that covered his tomb and his remains will be taken to the Franco family crypt where his wife is buried.

National police officers stand guard at the main gate outside Mingorrubio's cemetery, on the outskirts of Madrid, 24-10-2019. Image: AP Photo/Bernat Armangue

The exhumation follows months of legal delays – with objections from the Franco family, the Catholic Church and Spain’s three main right-wing parties.

The Supreme Court delivered its final ruling in September.