"Reconciliation" (2024): Memoirs of King Juan Carlos I

[An Ard Ri]

King Juan Carlos wants to move forward with the project. He must be trying to clean up his image with this book and the court cases.

I think its a little too late for him to salvage his reputation and he should stay out of sight incase there are any more skeletons in his closet!

 

[Toledo]

The former king is desperate to clean up his bad press, that he is solely responsible for, because he probably feels the end is coming soon as his age and conditions catch up with his health.

As a Spaniard abroad since the 1980s, I stopped caring for him after the trip to Botswana set up by his mistress to kill poor elephants for photo ops next to their lifeless bodies. I'm glad he rescued us from Franco and its supporters twice, but as the father figure of our nation I would have preferred his well-known scandals had stopped decades ago. He became arrogant and almost destroyed everything he built, and Felipe inherited this mess.

That book will probably be excuses and more excuses with absolutely no acknowledgement of his behavior, or the children born out of other women, his infidelities toward the queen, his money schemes. Etc.
There's no digital ink that can cover that up.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I look forward to the book (if it will be distributed in english).

Not that i have much sympathy for the man but he is an interesting figure in european royal history and i’m curious what he will write… Especially about his days as Franco’s heir and the early days of his kingship… And ofcourse about the ”intriguing” (in lack of a better word) marriage to his wife

 

[An Ard Ri]

Its now reported that Reconciliation will be released in November 2025!
La fecha y todos los detalles de las esperadas memorias del rey Juan Carlos: "Tengo la sensación de que me están robando mi historia"

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

This will be interesting for sure. We'll see if he sticks to the historical part only and does not interfere with the reign of his son, by spilling some juicy family secrets.

 

[An Ard Ri]

This will be interesting for sure. We'll see if he sticks to the historical part only and does not interfere with the reign of his son, by spilling some juicy family secrets.

I'm still of the mind that this project should have been shelved and I fear Don Juan Carlos may have one too many skeletons in his closet!

 

[Blog Real]

I highlight this part of today's article by Vanitatis about the book of King Juan Carlos:

'Reconciliation' chronicles in detail "the private side of a public life." It's a memoir "rich in anecdotes," the article notes. To this end, King Juan Carlos enlisted the help of Debray, who even moved to Abu Dhabi with his family for a time. She shaped Juan Carlos's writings, and he also enlisted the help of friends and family. However, we can confirm from this medium that there are episodes of his life that don't appear, such as his relationship with Bárbara Rey, which has recently grabbed so many headlines. That story doesn't feature a single line in King Juan Carlos's memoirs, as highly reliable sources have informed Vanitatis.

Última hora | Reconciliación, las memorias de Juan Carlos I, a punto: "No tengo derecho a llorar"

Planeta confirma la información de Vanitatis y envía una nota de prensa para anunciar las memorias del padre del Rey, "un acontecimiento histórico"

www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com

It certainly won't be a controversial book and it was written with great care to avoid controversy. But I'm curious to read the book!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Well, I would not expect him to list every lover he had outside marriage but if he leaves out Corinna for example, who has been key to his downfall ... nobody is interested in some boring sugarcoated memoir about anectodes with people in the prime of his life as King who are likely to be dead already and cant comment anymore ... If his aim was to come clean, it goes both ways.

 

[Blog Real]

Well, I would not expect him to list every lover he had outside marriage but if he leaves out Corinna for example, who has been key to his downfall ... nobody is interested in some boring sugarcoated memoir about anectodes with people in the prime of his life as King who are likely to be dead already and cant comment anymore ... If his aim was to come clean, it goes both ways.

Obviously King Juan Carlos will not talk about lovers in the book. I think this book will be an account of his childhood, adolescence, his path to the throne, his marriage and how he met Sofia, the birth of his children, his relationship with his sisters and the death of his brother, the moments he considers most important in his life, his exile in the United Arab Emirates and how he would like to be remembered, and probably the theme of death.

 

[maria-olivia]

I think he will be grateful to his Father the Count of Barcelone who was the real Bourbon Hair and not General Franco's Heir.

 

[Blog Real]

Laurence Debray, a French-Venezuelan historian and writer who helped write the memoirs of King Juan Carlos, gave an interview to ¡HOLA!. The article also includes previously unpublished photos.

Adelanto de la entrevista en ¡HOLA! de Laurence Debray sobre el libro del rey Juan Carlos: “Reconoce sus errores. Pero también habla de sus logros”

"Es un libro sincero y honesto. Se entrega. Reconoce sus errores, pero también sus logros", nos dice la biógrafa del soberano acerca de ‘Reconciliación’

www.hola.com

 

[Somebody]

The current plan is for the book to be published both in Spanish and French on November 12, 2025. The book was written in French (and apparently translated to Spanish). The author lived in Abu Dhabi for two years to be able to work with Juan Carlos on a daily basis.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Don Juan Carlos recalled the advise of his late father
"My father always advised me not to write my memoirs. Kings don't confess. Especially not publicly. ''

That sounded like very sensible advice from the late Count of Barcelona!

 

[Marengo]

The French translation will be released on 12 November, that is a few weeks before the Spanish release.

Attente de la parution de « Reconciliacion » – Noblesse & Royautés

www.noblesseetroyautes.com

Apparently there is a booksigning planned in an important Parisian bookstore. The first print has 30.000 books.

 

[Toledo]

I'm checking Spain's El Pais and there is no mention of the book. I'm afraid Andrew is monopolizing all the Euro news this week

 

[Blog Real]

And here are the first excerpts from King Juan Carlos's memoirs:

He confirms that he will be buried in the Monastery of El Escorial: "Currently, it seems to me that nothing is decided or organized. The only certainty is the traditional process of placing the body in the charnel house: a somber ceremony".
But King Juan Carlos also says that "the royal pantheon at El Escorial is full". "There is space to build another one. What will the government decide? It's all in their hands. It's a matter of budget and political will".

Así habla el rey Juan Carlos de cómo le gustaría pasar sus últimos días y de la ceremonia tras su muerte en El Escorial

En uno de los capítulos de sus memorias, 'Reconciliación', escritas por la periodista franco-venezolana Laurence Debrey, ha reflexionado sobre cómo será su despedida

www.hola.com

King Juan Carlos wanted to found a "Kings' Club" that would bring together the main leaders of European royal houses, where monarchs could meet and exchange ideas, with the aim of ensuring stability in Europe with this kind of G7 of royalty.

El club de reyes que don Juan Carlos quiso fundar: un “G7 de la realeza”

Un proyecto que se ha conocido en la cuenta atrás para la publicación de sus memorias

www.hola.com

Ele speaks about Diana, Princess of Wales: "cold, taciturn, distant, except when there were paparazzi" and denies having had an "affair" with Princess Diana.

El rey Juan Carlos también habla de Diana de Gales en sus memorias: "Fría, taciturna, distante, salvo cuando había paparazzi"

Todos sabían que el matrimonio entre los príncipes de Gales estaba roto cuando pasaron varios veranos en el Palacio de Marivent entre 1986 y 1990

www.hola.com

He also leaves some advice for Princess Leonor: "That she trusts in herself, that she fulfills her duty with sympathy and benevolence, that she is a guarantor of respect for the Spanish Constitution".

El significativo consejo del rey Juan Carlos a la princesa Leonor: "Que confíe en sí misma, que cumpla su deber con simpatía y benevolencia"

Ha querido orientar a su nieta ante la gran responsabilidad de llevar, en un futuro, la corona de España, añadiendo la importancia del respeto a la Constitución española

www.hola.com

King Juan Carlos also recounts how he informed King Felipe VI that he was leaving Spain:
"When my son learned of my sudden departure, he called me. I was already on the plane. 'Where are you going, boss? To London?' They call me 'boss' or 'master.' I don't think I have an authoritarian personality, but it's true that it reflects the pyramidal organization of the Royal Household and the Royal Family. As a sign of respect, my son calls me that, although in private I'm still 'Dad.' 'No, to Abu Dhabi.' 'Take care.'
That was our last conversation before many months of silence and distance".

El rey Juan Carlos revela la última conversación que mantuvo con su hijo, Felipe VI, antes de partir a Abu Dabi: "¿Adónde vas, jefe?"

El libro titulado 'Réconciliation. Mémoires. Juan Carlos I d’Espagne', escrito por la periodista francesa Laurence Debray, recoge las memorias del que fuera jefe del Estado hasta el 2014, se publicará en Francia y en España

www.hola.com

More excerpts from the book:
"What I most desire, while I live, is to have a peaceful retirement, to re-establish a harmonious relationship with my son and, above all, to return to Spain, to home".

Regarding Franco: "I was sitting beside him in his hospital bed. He took my hand and, with his last breath, said to me: 'Your Highness, I only ask one thing of you: maintain the unity of the country.' It was his last wish. He did not ask me to preserve the regime or the principles of the National Movement. I therefore had a free hand to undertake reforms, as long as the unity of Spain was not threatened. I felt that he was giving me the freedom to act".

Regarding the nostalgia she feels today: "There isn't a single day that goes by without nostalgia overwhelming me. It's as if Spain has become part of my skin. I left my most beautiful memories and my greatest pride there".

Las 22 confesiones del rey Juan Carlos en Reconciliación, sus memorias recién publicadas: "me convertí en una presa fácil"

'Reconciliación' saldrá a la venta en Francia y en España próximamente

www.hola.com

About Queen Sofía: "She has no equal in my life, and that will continue to be the case, even though our paths have diverged since my departure from Spain. She is the mother of my children, an extraordinary queen, and an essential and irreplaceable emotional support".
"Sofía is an exceptional woman, upright, kind, rigorous, devoted, and benevolent. The personification of nobility of spirit. She doesn't like being called a 'great professional,' but Spain could not have had a more dedicated and impeccable queen… We are different, but we share the same sense of duty".

https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com/casas-reales/2025-10-29/rey-juan-carlos-memorias-reina-sofia-madre_4237491/

 

[An Ard Ri]

It was rather late of him to acknowledge queen Sofia and indomitable support for the Spanish Crown and I suppose better late than never!

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Incredible that no final decision has been taken about future interment’s of the monarch’s…

I get that the current spanish government does not like the monarchy and rather prefers the country to become a republic - but this is disrespectful in my opinion…

Maybe noone sees the matter as urgent despite J C’s age as he will likely be in the decaying chamber for 25-40 years…

 

[Prinsara]

It was rather late of him to acknowledge queen Sofia and indomitable support for the Spanish Crown and I suppose better late than never!

I have always thought that (exactly like his parents) he admires Sofía greatly and still has some sort of very complicated affection for her but 1) his compulsive behavior won’t let him demonstrate that and 2) he needs to view himself as the wrongdoer responsible for the broken relationship. She’s the one on a pedestal; things need to be his fault.

(Notice all he wants is to fix the one with Felipe.)

He’s mentioned the thing about Franco before, even if it was a while ago.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Incredible that no final decision has been taken about future interment’s of the monarch’s…

I'm not at all surprised and that could have been done 30-40 years ago as they were aware that the Royal vault was almost full.
There are other burial sites that could be used and Queen Sofia could possibly have requested to be buried in Greece.

 

[Marengo]

Those we indeed lovely - and well deserved- words for his wife. And also for his son.
If these are the most juicy parts Zarzuela does not need to worry.

I hope the King's wish can come true, though I understand many Spaniards may feel differently. He was a great man once.

 

[lula]

(Notice all he wants is to fix the one with Felipe.)

Juan Carlos only wants to improve his own image; he only cares about himself. If his son or the Monarchy truly mattered to him, he would never have written this book, and he wouldn't be giving interviews to the press.

He praises Sofía because he knows her image is good, and that will be praised by certain sectors of society. Now he says he can't see Sofía, when for years he had no interest in seeing her. They only crossed paths at official events, and he spent all his free time with his current mistress.

 

[An Ard Ri]

A former Monarch who almost destroyed the Spanish Monarchy ,humiliated his wife and children and up until now has never shown any remorse.
I'm reminded of the old saying 'actions speak louder than words ' on Don Juan Carlos!

 

[Toledo]

Those we indeed lovely - and well deserved- words for his wife. And also for his son.
If these are the most juicy parts Zarzuela does not need to worry.

I hope the King's wish can come true, though I understand many Spaniards may feel differently. He was a great man once.

As a young Spaniard, he was a hero during the attempted military coup, when he went on TV and took charge as the boss and told them to put the weapons down. He saved Spain because the military rebels didn't go to Zarzuela to capture or execute him. Plus, Juan Carlos already had the palace wired up to become an emergency TV station of sorts. He went live from the palace and saved the nation of another round of Franco's leftovers.

And as a old Spaniard now, and living away for ages in the USA, he is a disappointment when his antics became public and we all saw how bad he threated his wife. Even when the queen visited him at the hospital, I think the Botswana scandal, he had the audacity to allow his lady friend to be there first. The queen walked in with her daughters and both women, wife and mistress, faced each other. The queen walked out and acted like a lady, he acted like an old Bourbon male.

Nope, can't get past that.

RE his funeral, it will be a low key state event out if respect for his position, but most, if no one but his buddies and mistresses, will even miss him. His remains are to be sent first to a place called El Pudridero until decomposition takes over for a few years. I believe Portuguese royals used to follow this tradition, too?
Then a bones removal ceremony and to the permanent crypt or an alternative extension of the current place that is already crowded.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I for my part look forward to buy this book if/when it comes in english… He’s an interesting man to me with all the ingredients of a perfect thriller… Born in exile, raised by a dictator, transformed Spain from a dictatorship to a constitutional monarchy, seemingly had it all with a beautiful wife, 3 healthy children, and being the head of state of a blooming country….. Only to loose everything and everyone by his own actions and choices….

Don’t get me wrong - i totally get why many people hates him and why many people won’t miss him the day he moves into El Escorial - but that’s also what makes this book very interesting in my eyes…. I love to read intriguing stories about people with a whole lot of personality, be it negative or positive, much more than boring stories about politically correct people with no personalities who has walked through life with stiffed upper lips never doing anything out of the ordinary…

I don’t defend J C but on the big map of european royal history, i find him a much more interesting personality to read about than a whole lot of other monarch’s…

 

[Kinan]

I don’t defend J C but on the big map of european royal history, i find him a much more interesting personality to read about than a whole lot of other monarch’s…

We need a Netflix drama like "The Crown" but Spanish version

 

[Minister of Court]

We need a Netflix drama like "The Crown" but Spanish version

May the dear old Queen Sofia be long gone before such travesty befalls!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I am interested to know if or how he will address his heir's marriage to Letizia Ortiz, which was widely reported to have displeased him?

 

[maria-olivia]

For Princess Diana , cold taciturne and distant except when they were paparazzi. So the pictures taken at that time with a smiling Diana did not show the reality.....

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

For Princess Diana , cold taciturne and distant except when they were paparazzi. So the pictures taken at that time with a smiling Diana did not show the reality.....

Maybe Lady Di was just unimpressed by his advances....
I think JC wants to correct his image for the history books and thinks his best chance is emotional blackmail:
- praising the true professional Queen who was sidelined by him privately
- appeasing Felipe, he better not be unkind and make up with his father
- wanting to be buried at El Escorial, the government better not be unkind and deny a former King his dying wish

Having mentioned the burial, I think the topic is open for a long time now but I guess every government tries to avoid burning their fingers on it. No question that JC will get a public funeral but of course it can well be toned down.