What seemed unthinkable not so long ago is now taking real shape. This November, Spainβs bookstores are bracing for an earthquake: the memoirs of the honorary king, Juan Carlos I, are set to hit the shelves. This long-anticipated release, delayed for nearly half a year, promises to be more than just a new literary titleβit could become a true media bombshell, poised to reshape how the country’s recent history is perceived. The king, who lives in self-imposed exile, has decided that the time has come for his side of the story, and he is determined to fight for his legacy to the very end.
Initial news about the planned 500-page volume surfaced last autumn in the French press, but the project then abruptly stalled. Whether the delay was the result of behind-the-scenes talks with the Zarzuela Palace or other complications remains a mystery. However, it’s clear that all attempts at compromise have failed. The monarch’s resolve to defend his honorβincluding in court against politicians who have accused himβshows that he has no intention of staying silent. Juan Carlos is convinced that ‘they are stealing history’ from him, and the book will be his principal weapon in this battle for his place in history.
The choice of publication date appears far from coincidental. The memoirs will be released on November 12, just ten days before the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the parliamentary monarchy in Spain. This is a landmark event in which Juan Carlos played a direct role, but he was discreetly excluded from the official celebrations in the Congress of Deputies by his own son, King Felipe VI. One can only guess at the father’s disappointment, as he believes it was thanks to him that the transition to democracy happened without bloodshed. The release of the book at this time seems like an elegant yet powerful countermove.
This entire situation puts the royal family in a highly uncomfortable position. The efforts of Felipe and Letizia to build an impeccable image of the monarchy and prepare the ground for future queen Leonor could be seriously undermined. New revelations about the honorary king’s personal life, which are bound to appear on the pages, risk sparking yet another wave of scandalous headlines. The position of Infantas Elena and Cristina, who have always been close to their father, remains unclear. Their recent absence during Juan Carlos’s visit to Sanxenxoβa trip usually attended by at least one of his daughtersβraises questions about possible disapproval of his initiative.
A key figure in the memoir’s creation was the French writer and biographer Laurence Debray. She is not just a co-author, but a fervent defender of the honorary king. For this project, Debray, along with her family, moved to Abu Dhabi in September 2022 and spent over two years working side by side with the monarch. This proximity, evidently, provided the highest level of trust and openness. In her recent interviews, Debray not only shares details about the king’s “profound loneliness,” but also allows herself sharp remarks about the current monarch, for example, making ironic comments regarding Felipe VI’s education. She claims that neither the date nor the content of the book is meant to “cause a stir,” but that’s hard to believe.
An interesting detail: the book was originally written in French and is said to possess a certain lyricism characteristic of Gallic literature. However, this seems to be only the first part. Insiders say that after Debray’s “sweet” offering, the main course will followβpolitical memoirs written in the dry and sharp language of Cervantes by well-known journalist Carlos Herrera. While for the publisher and co-authors the book is a guaranteed commercial success, for the Spanish monarchy it could become the toughest test of resilience in recent decades.
