Former King Juan Carlos’s memoirs went on sale in Spain on Wednesday, with the publication’s warm words for the late dictator Franco stirring debate over the former monarch’s legacy.
Esther Gil, an employee of the Pasajes bookstore in central Madrid, said the shop had received around 50 pre-orders for the memoirs ahead of the Spanish edition’s release.
“This has been one of the most awaited books to come out,” she told AFP as she stood by a table where copies of the memoir called “Reconciliation” were on display.
“This is the first time the king has talked about personal stuff, and everyone was really curious about what he’d say. I guess it’s partly just curiosity, but also a little bit of morbid fascination, and people love that.”
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The French-language edition of the 500-page memoir was first released in France last month, and the Spanish edition was the top-selling book on Amazon in Spain on Wednesday, according to the website.
In his book, the 87-year-old former monarch reflects on well-known moments from Spain’s history as well as his extramarital affairs and financial scandals.
Among its most contentious passages are Juan Carlos’s warm words for Spain’s late dictator General Francisco Franco, and ruminations on his role in the country’s transition to democracy.
READ MORE: Diana, Franco and brother’s death – The memoirs of Spain’s exiled king
The former king wrote that he had “great respect” for Franco, who brought him to Spain from exile aged 10 to be raised as his successor.
He said the general “could even be somewhat tender and benevolent”.
Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has called this defence of the late dictator “sickening” while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “surprised” by some of the content of the memoirs.
Franco separated Juan Carlos from his parents when he was 10 and groomed the boy to be his successor.
He was crowned two days after Franco’s death in 1975.
Juan Carlos disappointed Francoists who hoped he would continue the dictator’s legacy by quickly implementing reforms that led to democratic elections in 1977.
In an unexpected video released Monday, Juan Carlos said he wrote the memoirs so that young people “can learn about the recent history of your country without distortions”.
Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, King Felipe VI, in 2014, and has lived in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates since 2020.
