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

[Stefan]

Is the idea that Juan Carlos wanted a son of Felipe to be heir instead of Leonor something that he wrote himself in his autobiography, or was it a report or rumor from elsewhere?

At least King Juan Carlos I did not publicly oppose the then government's plans to introduce equal primogeniture in 2004.

There is still no equal primogeniture in the succession to the Crown. Only in the succession to noble Titl.es

 

[Toledo]

Is the idea that Juan Carlos wanted a son of Felipe to be heir instead of Leonor something that he wrote himself in his autobiography, or was it a report or rumor from elsewhere?

At least King Juan Carlos I did not publicly oppose the then government's plans to introduce equal primogeniture in 2004.

During the few years I was in this forum before I took a long work 'vacation' about 2006-2007, I always wondered why Juan Carlos was so distant, almost cold, toward baby Leonor.

If I had to dig deep into his mind my assumption always was he wanted Letizia to be the standard royal baby factory. He probably wanted her to produce at least one baby boy prince for him. As for Leonor, had Juan Carlos kept the crown he would possibly marry Leonor off to someone else like Frederick and Mary's son. Anything but to make her his heir.

I'm glad Letizia stopped at two, that Felipe took charge of the family and the kingdom and that Juan Carlos moved away, far away from them. And now he's back and worst, bringing Franco into the story. Franco and his family, particularly his wife and his sister, did horrible things to people in Spain. The only thing to celebrate is we are half a century free of that family.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

There is still no equal primogeniture in the succession to the Crown. Only in the succession to noble Titl.es

That's right, but in 2004 the then government publicly announced plans to change the succession to the throne to equal primogeniture, although they dropped those plans later.

Spain to remove precedent for male royals - UPI.com

Spaniards Friday welcomed a proposed change in the constitution to stop giving male heirs precedence over women in royal succession.

www.upi.com

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

Why did they drop those plans later?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Why did they drop those plans later?

The major parties were in agreement that son preference in the succession to the throne should be scrapped, but there were disagreements between different political factions about whether other parts of the Constitution were also due for reform. Though I cannot recall the details at the moment, I believe the general perception was that these political divisions turned the prospect of opening up the Constitution for revision into a can of worms that the major parties did not want to open.

Here is the TRF thread which will contain some news reports from the time.

Debate on the Reform of the Spanish Constitution (Re: Succession)

What would it happen if Letizia and Felipe have daughters only? Are they heiress to the throne or is only for males? :huh:

www.theroyalforums.com

ETA: It also helped that the then Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia took the then unprecedented step of announcing in 2006 that their unborn second child was female, a step they stated they took due to the public debate. This was taken as a public reassurance to the politicians that they did not need to revise the Constitution in the near future as it would not make a practical difference in the short term. (Thus, some Spaniards interpreted the premature "gender reveal" announcement as the Prince and Princess of Asturias tacitly promising the politicians they would stop at two daughters so that the son preference issue would not become urgent.)

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

Thanks for all the information

 

[BJB]

Why did they drop those plans later?

Changing the Spanish constitution in regard to the Crown is super complicated.

First you need a 2/3 majority in both houses of parliament.
Then that immediatly triggers new elections.
Then once more there need to be a 2/3 majority in both newly-formed houses.
And then you also need to hold an referendum on the matter.

 

[Stefan]

Changing the Spanish constitution in regard to the Crown is super complicated.

First you need a 2/3 majority in both houses of parliament.
Then that immediatly triggers new elections.
Then once more there need to be a 2/3 majority in both newly-formed houses.
And then you also need to hold an referendum on the matter.

And why did the make it so complicated.
And i still think that there are probably other Issues in the Constitution which needs to be changed/updated after 50 years.

 

[BJB]

And why did the make it so complicated.
And i still think that there are probably other Issues in the Constitution which needs to be changed/updated after 50 years.

Not all parts of the Spanish constitution need such a proceeding to be changed. Just the core bits.

It is probably due to the previous dictatorship that they put in very high safeguards to core elements. This is not unique; the German constitution, for example, has two core paragraphs (1 and 20 GG) which can't even be changed/abolished by parliament but would need straight up a new constitution. That was also done with the memory of the dictatorship and war in mind, to prevent a "legal" way to abolish core rights.

 

[Toledo]

The major parties were in agreement that son preference in the succession to the throne should be scrapped, but there were disagreements between different political factions about whether other parts of the Constitution were also due for reform. Though I cannot recall the details at the moment, I believe the general perception was that these political divisions turned the prospect of opening up the Constitution for revision into a can of worms that the major parties did not want to open.

Here is the TRF thread which will contain some news reports from the time.

Debate on the Reform of the Spanish Constitution (Re: Succession)

What would it happen if Letizia and Felipe have daughters only? Are they heiress to the throne or is only for males? :huh:

www.theroyalforums.com

ETA: It also helped that the then Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia took the then unprecedented step of announcing in 2006 that their unborn second child was female, a step they stated they took due to the public debate. This was taken as a public reassurance to the politicians that they did not need to revise the Constitution in the near future as it would not make a practical difference in the short term. (Thus, some Spaniards interpreted the premature "gender reveal" announcement as the Prince and Princess of Asturias tacitly promising the politicians they would stop at two daughters so that the son preference issue would not become urgent.)

I can only imagine king Juan Carlos cursing out loudly at the Zarzuela Palace when the gender was announced to him by Felipe. All his expectations for grandson to carry his name came down crashing at that moment.

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

A tiny part of me understands why Juan Carlos wanted Felipe to have a son. Leonor will be the 'last' of the Spanish Bourbons in the traditional sense e.g. traced through the paternal line, and her children will be viewed by many genealogists as belonging to her husband's family instead. For a dynasty that can trace its agnatic origin all the way back to Robert the Strong in the mid 9th century, that will seem a little sad.

But preserving lineages is not a reason to deny women succession rights, especially in a modern, representative, constitutional monarchy. And certainly not a reason to view your granddaughters as disappointing.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

And besides, both the Spanish crown and the Bourbon name were passed to the Spanish Bourbons through female ancestresses.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

A tiny part of me understands why Juan Carlos wanted Felipe to have a son. Leonor will be the 'last' of the Spanish Bourbons in the traditional sense e.g. traced through the paternal line, and her children will be viewed by many genealogists as belonging to her husband's family instead. For a dynasty that can trace its agnatic origin all the way back to Robert the Strong in the mid 9th century, that will seem a little sad.

But preserving lineages is not a reason to deny women succession rights, especially in a modern, representative, constitutional monarchy. And certainly not a reason to view your granddaughters as disappointing.

Yes. It would be the same situation that happened in the Principality of Monaco when the Grimaldi heiress married French Prince Pierre de Polignac.

 

[tihkon2]

A tiny part of me understands why Juan Carlos wanted Felipe to have a son. Leonor will be the 'last' of the Spanish Bourbons in the traditional sense e.g. traced through the paternal line, and her children will be viewed by many genealogists as belonging to her husband's family instead. For a dynasty that can trace its agnatic origin all the way back to Robert the Strong in the mid 9th century, that will seem a little sad.

Well that's if you believe ANY of Isabella II's children were by her husband. Which I don't know if I've heard of anyone actually believing that.....

Yes, legally they were his. But in fact? I don't think so.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

To add to @BJB’s informative answers, the stricter requirements (two-thirds of both houses and a public referendum) for revision of certain parts of the Constitution apply to the Preliminary Title (the fundamentals of the Constitution), Chapter Two, Section 1 of Title I (“Fundamental Rights and Public Liberties”), and Title II (“The Crown”). See Article 168.

BOE.es - Constitución Española _ The Spanish Constitution

www.boe.es

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

A tiny part of me understands why Juan Carlos wanted Felipe to have a son. Leonor will be the 'last' of the Spanish Bourbons in the traditional sense e.g. traced through the paternal line, and her children will be viewed by many genealogists as belonging to her husband's family instead. For a dynasty that can trace its agnatic origin all the way back to Robert the Strong in the mid 9th century, that will seem a little sad.

But preserving lineages is not a reason to deny women succession rights, especially in a modern, representative, constitutional monarchy. And certainly not a reason to view your granddaughters as disappointing.

Another reason is that women monarchs have it tougher than men, I believe that too. It was one of the arguments for the Swedish King to keep Carl Philip as his heir but was outvoted by the government. It some ways we are still a traditional society. Its hard for a woman to be the boss, earn the respect, find a suitable husband who is willing to play 2nd fiddle, have at least 2 children and do everything else that is expected. Just compare the agendas of Felipe and Letizia, and the roles they have in public and with the government. There is much more focus and pressure on the monarch and while we have seen though women monarchs, like QEII or QM of Denmark, it came at a heavy price in terms of family. In my opinion women are as capable as men, but they have the additional package of bearing and raising children while having to perform the top job, day in day out.

 

[Mbruno]

Is the idea that Juan Carlos wanted a son of Felipe to be heir instead of Leonor something that he wrote himself in his autobiography, or was it a report or rumor from elsewhere?

At least King Juan Carlos I did not publicly oppose the then government's plans to introduce equal primogeniture in 2004.

I suppose you are contrasting him with King Carl XVI Gustaf who, despite not opposing the government's plans to introduce equal primogeniture, publically expressed a wish that the change should not affect his son's position (as his son had been born before the amendment to the Act of Succession had been passed twice as required in Sweden).

In any case, as a constitutional monarch, it would not have been appropriate for King Juan Carlos to oppose the government's plans in public. It would have been proper though for him to express his opposition privately, in an audience with the prime minister. We do not know if he did that.

A tiny part of me understands why Juan Carlos wanted Felipe to have a son. Leonor will be the 'last' of the Spanish Bourbons in the traditional sense e.g. traced through the paternal line, and her children will be viewed by many genealogists as belonging to her husband's family instead.ng.

Unless Leonor marries another Bourbon as Queen Isabella II did. Is there any available Italian cousin?

EDIT: The question was only rhetorical.

 

[maria-olivia]

I bought the book 505 pages and small pictures , the last one is himelf alone regarding the sea.
He did not hid any Regrets and speaks as somebody who knows he will have not a lot of time left to speak with open heart.

 

[Blog Real]

King Juan Carlos gave an exclusive interview to Stephane Bern on the occasion of the launch of his memoir. The interview will be broadcast on November 26th on France 3.

Stéphane Bern Officiel on Instagram: "Ne manquez pas mercredi 26 novembre sur @france.tv #france3 l’interview exclusive du roi émérite Juan Carlos Ier d’Espagne à l’occasion de la sortie de ses mémoires « Réconciliation » @editionsstock avec @lauren

2,609 likes, 79 comments - stephane.bern.officiel on November 5, 2025: "Ne manquez pas mercredi 26 novembre sur @france.tv #france3 l’interview exclusive du roi émérite Juan Carlos Ier d’Espagne à l’occasion de la sortie de ses mémoires « Réconciliation » @editionsstock avec @laurence.debray en...

www.instagram.com

 

[carlota]

I had a quick look at the articles in Hola about his book. Some things caught my attention such as the fact that he doesn’t know what will happen when he dies (such as where he might be buried, I would have thought this was known to them), or that he goes in the book in great detail about certain things such as the diet he followed to lose weight. It all seems really candid and open. The author is also interviewed, and she mentions how disciplined and hard working he has been throughout the process and that the family treated her very well, she specifically mentions Froilan being very pleasant. They also cover his life in Abu Dhabi, where they mentioned he receives other royalty often, such as Louis of Luxembourg (interesting to me, as they are different generations). He mentions being in touch with Simeon of Bulgaria and Empress Farah. He is obviously very much in touch with Sofia, despite what the media may say. The author also mentions he speaks French perfectly, and that is why the biography was written in French initially as that is how those conversations took place. The author mentions he doesn’t want to embarrass Felipe, but one wonders if that is the case with all the allegations against Letizia. He mentions he lives in a secret location only accessible by boat to not be disturbed. But he mentions he’d really like to come back to Spain and that he misses it.

 

[maria-olivia]

First page,
To my parents,
To my Brother and Sisters,
to my Wife,
To my Children,
To my Grand Children,
To all who helped me for the Democratic Transition.

 

[Somebody]

To his brother… rather poignant. It must be the largest regret of his life.

 

[An Ard Ri]

First page,
To my parents,
To my Brother and Sisters,
to my Wife,
To my Children,
To my Grand Children,
To all who helped me for the Democratic Transition.

Sad to think he has but one sibling remaining and she's not in the best of health either.
No mention of his daughter in law ,no surprise really.

 

[maria-olivia]

I read some parts at this is my last post , as I have the book. I just wanted to say how unexpected the Noos Affair was for him and for everybody. They were unprepared against the heavy accusations.
I don't know when the english translation will be ready for you but am happy I bought his book .

 

[Blog Real]

This photo was published in King Juan Carlos' memoirs. The photo was taken on the King Emeritus' 80th birthday.

https://c7.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/G59183fb5/22817620_KcZ4K.jpeg

 

[maria-olivia]

All the photos are small , many of them on the same page.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

This photo was putblished in King Juan Carlos' memoirs. The photo was taken on the King Emeritus' 80th birthday.

https://c7.quickcachr.fotos.sapo.pt/i/G59183fb5/22817620_KcZ4K.jpeg

hehe he DIL cut off even there!
I remember they published a family photo from this event on the website.

 

[hereditarytitles]

German paper "Welt" has a review about the book. Just one excerpt about the accidental death of his brother, which is very emotional

"I will never recover from this tragedy. Its weight will forever be with me," Spanish media quote from the 500-page autobiography, which was first published in France, and an accompanying interview with "Le Figaro." On that Maundy Thursday, the brothers had been playing with a pistol. They hadn't known there was a bullet left in the magazine. "A shot went off into the air, the bullet ricocheted, and struck my brother squarely in the forehead. He died in our father's arms."

Alfonso was 14 years old at the time. "My life changed forever that afternoon," he confesses. "Since then, I have lived with the echo of that gunshot."

Erinnerungen eines Ex-Königs: „Seitdem lebe ich mit dem Echo dieses Schusses“ – Juan Carlos erzählt, wie er seinen Bruder tötete - WELT

Der spanische Ex-König Juan Carlos lebt nach zahlreichen Skandalen freiwillig im Exil. Nun geht er mit seiner Geschichte an die Öffentlichkeit – und öffnet dabei auch eines der dunkelsten Kapitel seines Lebens.

www.welt.de

 

[maria-olivia]

The photo published comes from the Book Reconciliation and under it is written (collection personnelle). I have a question may pictures coming from a private collection be printed openly ?

 

[tihkon2]

The photo published comes from the Book Reconciliation and under it is written (collection personnelle). I have a question may pictures coming from a private collection be printed openly ?

Juan Carlos probably supplied the photos I would imagine.