Spanish journalist Jordi Evoli has a theory regarding Queen Letizia, which is sometimes somewhat ironic. According to this famous interviewer, the former journalist is a “spy” who entered the Spanish crown to destroy it. If you look at how the Bourbon image collapsed at the hands of the titular Charles I, a lot of Letizia’s work was done by the titular. Now with the publication of his memoir and video, he has collaborated even more.
He loves. The memoirs of Spanish King Emeritus Juan Carlos I went on sale in Spain a few days ago, and as expected, there was great anticipation after its publication in mid-November in France. There, the “reconciliation” – as the book is called – was noticed only by Spanish journalists whose reviews reopened the discussion about the legacy of a former king who had proven corrupt, but who would also never receive any legal punishment. The Book of Reconciliation is approximately five hundred pages long, in which the titular Charles I reflects on important moments in Spanish history as well as his reflections on his role in the Spanish transition to democracy. It is a fact that is also in question because, as shown in the documentary “Saving the King” (on HBO), a sector of Spanish intelligence was implicated in the failed coup led by Colonel Antonio Tejero on February 23, 1981.
Al-Fakhri included some brief references to his extramarital relationships, and said that some of them were false stories. He realizes that his greatest mistake was his affair with Corinna Larsen, the German whose affair was discovered when a photograph of Charles I leaning on an elephant he was hunting was published. It was also Corinna who revealed the existence of undeclared bank accounts of the former king in Swiss banks. It was surprising that he did not write anything about his romantic relationship with the Spanish singer and actress Barbara Rey, whose biography tells how this love arose.
Authoritarians don’t like this
The practice of professional and critical journalism is an essential pillar of democracy. This is why it bothers those who believe they are the bearers of the truth.
The Dictator Among the most controversial passages of reconciliation stand out the tender words dedicated to the dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain for forty years. Juan Carlos I mentions in the book that he “had great respect” for Franco, who separated him from his family in exile at the age of ten and made him settle in Spain with the aim of training him to succeed him upon his death. As some say, Franco was also interested in having Juan Carlos I as his son-in-law to achieve a tangible alliance with the crown. In addition, he noted that the dictator was “kind, smiling, and talkative” to him, and that he “appreciated his intelligence and political sense.”
video. To the launch of the memoirs, an unexpected video was added in which former King Juan Carlos I explained why he wrote the reconciliations. “For young Spaniards, and especially for all of you who do not know the history of Spain, I want you to know that your parents, your grandparents and many Spaniards together were able to bring about a perfect transformation, to give a change to this country in very complex circumstances,” Juan Carlos I says in the video. The former Spanish king added: “I made this effort to write my memoirs with the idea that your parents can remember historical moments, and that you can know the modern history of your country without distortions, narrated by someone who “lived the transition firsthand.” He also called for the support of “his son, King Felipe, in this hard work to unite all Spaniards.”
Contacted by Agence France-Presse, the royal family claimed to know “nothing” about the video: “We do not understand what goals it seeks. We do not consider it neither necessary nor appropriate.”
bitter. Juan Carlos I abdicated the throne in 2014 in favor of his son Felipe, after a series of scandals related to his money and private life that tarnished his image and the image of the Spanish Crown. He then fled to Abu Dhabi in 2020, where he still resides under the protection of his friends in the Saudi monarchy. Since then, he has maintained a seemingly distant relationship with his son, the king. In 2024, she had negative comments about how her daughter-in-law, Queen Letizia, treated her in-laws, namely her sisters-in-law, nephews, and even her mother-in-law.