Spain’s book market is holding its breath for a literary sensation. In December, bookstores are set to receive the autobiography of King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, titled “Reconciliation.” Yet the buzz isn’t just about the release—it’s also about the book’s origin. Co-authored with French journalist Laurence Debray, the book has already been on sale in France for several weeks, and its contents are no secret. Meanwhile, another potentially more candid account of the royal memoirs, prepared by his close friend and renowned journalist Carlos Herrera, continues to gather dust in a publisher’s office—with no release date in sight.
The work on this biography spanned several years, including meetings between Herrera and the former monarch at his residence in Abu Dhabi. The King Emeritus, who ruled Spain for almost forty years, chose to entrust his life story to this journalist. In the preface to the French edition, Juan Carlos I laments that his own story seems to be taken from him. This may explain why he is so closely controlling the release of the version written by his confidant. Herrera’s book is fully finished, but its publication remains on hold.
Carlos Herrera himself remains calm and insists he has not read the memoirs prepared by his French colleague. He explains that his own work has been put on hold by the publisher, which is waiting for the right moment to release it. The journalist emphasizes that his aim was not to write a collection of personal revelations, but a comprehensive study of Juan Carlos’s international significance. The main focus of his book is on Juan Carlos’s political career, the most important years of his reign, and major official trips abroad, rather than details of his private life.
The relationship between the monarch and the journalist is long-standing and built on trust. Herrera has visited Juan Carlos I twice in Abu Dhabi after the king left Spain. According to the journalist, the honorary king has lost noticeable weight and is in excellent physical shape. Their latest meeting in the Persian Gulf took place in an informal setting, more like a lunch between two old friends. They first met back in the 1980s, and since then, Herrera says, their friendship has always been based on sincerity and mutual trust.
It’s worth noting that the honorary king has previously worked with journalists and writers. His first major interview took place back in 1978, and in the 1990s, the aristocrat José Luis de Vilallonga wrote the first official biography of Felipe VI’s father. That’s why the current delay in publishing Carlos Herrera’s book appears to be a deliberate decision rather than a coincidence. Clearly, the former head of state intends to decide for himself when Spanish society is ready to hear his version of events, told by the pen of a close friend. For now, the final say remains with the king.
