Juan Carlos I’s Memoirs Stalled by Denied Access to Royal Archives

Former King Juan Carlos I has been unable to consult personal and paternal archives for his upcoming memoirs, titled “Reconciliación,” which he is writing with French biographer Laurence Debray. He requested permission to view his own files and those of his father, Don Juan de Borbón, stored at the Zarzuela Palace, but the palace denied access, a setback he described as a major disappointment.

Unable to use the archives, Juan Carlos turned to relatives, friends, and other witnesses to reconstruct events, locate photographs, and fill gaps in his recollection. The material he gathered has now been organized and catalogued, and the former monarch has authorized an evaluation of its historical value, with the aim of eventually depositing parts of the collection in an institution for researchers.