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Juan Carlos’s Memoir Praises Franco, Admits Saudi Gift, Denies Diana Affair

Early excerpts have reopened scrutiny of his record, drawing concern from the palace.

Overview

  • He tells Le Figaro that Franco “made me king” to open the regime, offering a positive appraisal of the dictator’s role in his accession.
  • He acknowledges receiving $100 million from Saudi Arabia, calling it “a gift I did not know how to refuse” and “a grave mistake” intended to provide for his family and retirement.
  • He rejects long-rumored claims of an affair with Princess Diana and describes her as “cold, taciturn, distant, except in the presence of the paparazzi.”
  • He reframes the failed 1981 putsch as “three coups at once” and accuses his onetime aide General Alfonso Armada of betrayal.
  • The book, co-written with Laurence Debray, is set for release on November 5 in France and December 3 in Spain, as the royal household deems it unhelpful to the monarchy.