Spain's king Juan Carlos to publish 'uncompromising' autobiography

Euronews

01-07-2025

Spain's former king Juan Carlos I is to launch a book of memoirs entitled "Reconciliation", written in the first person, which will hit bookshops later this year.
The work, according to a statement from the publishing house Planeta, will focus on "the private part of a public life" and promises to offer an in-depth view of his personal history and his role in the transformation of Spain.
In the announcement, the emeritus monarch explains the reasons behind his decision to write the book, despite his father's advice not to do so: "My father always advised me not to write my memoirs. Kings don't confess. Especially not publicly. Why am I disobeying him today? Why have I changed my mind? Because I feel that my history is being stolen from me.
A historical project from exile
Planeta describes the release as "a historic event". According to the publisher, the idea originated during his exile in Abu Dhabi, in a context in which "part of the published opinion" and "his own mistakes" have contributed to "overshadow his career and his fundamental contributions to the success of Spanish democracy".
The book, they say, will be full of anecdotes and significant episodes from both Spain's recent history and his personal life. It will portray a young Juan Carlos facing the challenges of a country divided by a Civil War and anchored in a destiny he had not chosen, until he became a key figure in the transition to democracy.
The publisher promises a memoir "written with an open heart and without concessions". The work moves between the two exiles that marked his life: the forced exile in Estoril during his youth and the voluntary exile in Abu Dhabi in his old age. In the words of King Juan Carlos I himself, the book contains a final confession, which reflects his current position: "I have no right to cry".