Spain has been shaken by the candid memoirs of Isabel Preysler, titled ‘My True Story.’ On the pages of her book, the ‘queen of hearts,’ as she has long been called in the press, sets out to put an end to years of rumors and speculation that have surrounded her life. She tells her story without embellishment, tracing her path from her youth in the Philippines to becoming one of the country’s most famous women, addressing the most painful topics, including her relationships with former husbands and children.
One of the most talked-about chapters is devoted to her marriage with legendary singer Julio Iglesias. Their union, which lasted seven years and produced three children—Chábeli, Julio Jr., and Enrique—officially ended in 1978. Preysler describes this period as a time of dazzling splendor and deep loneliness. Julio’s career was at its peak, and his life became an endless tour. Family contact, she recalls, was reduced to a minimum: rare phone calls and postcards from across the globe. This could not replace the husband and father’s presence at home.
After the divorce, Isabel faced a severe ordeal. The children moved to the United States to live with their father. This decision was made for security reasons, but for the mother, it turned into a true tragedy. The day she saw them off at the airport, Preysler calls the saddest of her life, a moment that left a lasting wound. This distance largely shaped the family’s later complicated relationships, especially between the father and the youngest son.
Unlike his older brother, Enrique Iglesias grew up in the shadow of his father’s fame, keeping his musical ambitions secret from everyone. His passion for music was a secret he shared only with his teacher. It was she who believed in the young man and lent him money to record his first demo tape. When Isabel learned about her son’s passion, she tried to find a compromise. She encouraged Enrique to finish his studies before fully diving into show business. Julio’s reaction, however, was completely different and, as Preysler writes, far from supportive.
The memoir claims that Julio Iglesias not only failed to support his son’s early aspirations, but also reacted extremely negatively. This became a source of deep sadness and disappointment for both Enrique and his mother. In one documentary, the future pop star recalled a fateful phone conversation with his father that ended in a heated argument and led to him leaving home. The rivalry between father and son only intensified over time, appearing in public statements and even nominations for the same music awards. Isabel Preysler’s book lifts the curtain on this family drama, revealing just how complex and painful the relationship was between the two most famous members of the Iglesias dynasty.
