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Juan Carlos Publishes Memoir ‘Réconciliation’ in France, Backs Felipe VI and Princess Leonor

The former king uses the book to warn that Spain’s institutions are fragile.

Overview

  • The 500‑plus‑page memoir, co‑written with French biographer Laurence Debray, went on sale in France on November 5 and is slated for release in Spain in December.
  • Juan Carlos vows to do everything to keep King Felipe VI at the head of the institution and voices full confidence in Princess Leonor’s future succession.
  • He acknowledges the Crown’s vulnerability and writes that democracy is a delicate good that must be protected.
  • He calls his relationship with businesswoman Corinna Larsen and the 2012 Botswana trip a mistake with catastrophic consequences for his reign and family.
  • He says his 2014 abdication was a considered, irrevocable decision, and notes his continued exile on Abu Dhabi’s Nurai Island and phone‑only contact with Queen Sofía, who remains active in Spain.