Ben Pawlowski
JUAN Carlos, Spain’s disgraced and exiled former king, has announced he will publish his memoir next year, vowing to ‘explain my mistakes and bad decisions’ during his time as head of state.
The 500-page book will be titled Reconciliation, a nod to Juan Carlos’ role in Spain’s transition to democracy following the death in 1975 of the fascist dictator General Franco, and is set to be published by Stock, a French publishing house.
The former monarch, 86, said his hand has been forced into painting his own version of events, claiming ‘my story is being stolen from me’ as several biographies detailing alleged affairs and financial scandals are published.
Juan Carlos abdicated the throne in 2014 amid much criticism for an elephant hunting safari trip and an embezzlement scandal involving his daughter, Infantina Cristina, and has lived in exile in Abu Dhabi since 2020 following a string of investigations into alleged corruption.
Announcing the news, Juan Carlos said: “My father [the Count of Barcelona, Juan de Borbon] always advised me not to write memoirs. Kings don’t confess. Even less so in public”.
“Their secrets are buried in the shadows of palaces. Why disobey him today? Why have I finally changed my mind? I have the feeling that my story is being stolen from me”.
News of the memoir, set to hit the shelves next year, is likely to concern the current king and Juan Carlos’ son, Felipe VI, who has been widely praised for steering the Spanish monarchy through numerous controversies.
