The emeritus king celebrates five years in exile and publishes a book to reconcile himself

BarcelonaThis Sunday marked five years since King Emeritus Juan Carlos fled Spain to settle in Abu Dhabi. The departure came after the controversy surrounding the investigation into his finances and alleged irregularities in his personal business dealings. The decision was announced in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for now, he will not return to Spain. The publication of a memoir with a very significant title is planned: Reconciliation.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of his proclamation as head of state, and to mark the occasion, Juan Carlos I has announced the publication of the volume. The book is written in the first person and aims to offer his vision of the events during his reign and the years he had to step back from the throne. In Spain, it is published by Planeta and will hit bookstores on November 12. "It is a sincere and honest book," explained historian Laurence Debray in the magazine. Hello!, and added that the king "recognizes his mistakes, but also claims his achievements."

The latest scandal that the emeritus king has starred in is the confrontation with the former president of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla, to whom this April he filed a lawsuit for the right to honor (demanding 50,000 euros for the "slanderous and insulting expressions" made to the media between May 2022 and January 2025). That same month, his former niece also filed a lawsuit against businesswoman Corinna Larsen, with whom he had a romantic relationship: he demanded an apology and financial compensation for having reported him to the CNI (National Intelligence Agency), after she refused to return 65 million euros that Juan Carlos had given her years earlier.

Since the emeritus king resided in the United Arab Emirates, trying to stay away from the media spotlight, he has returned to Spain on rare occasions: he has often been in Galicia to participate in regattas in the coastal town of Sanxenxo. The last visit was this July and he did not meet with either his granddaughter, Princess Leonor, or Felipe VI - with whom he was on the verge of coinciding, but avoided it. It's also not common to see him with Queen Sofia, who hasn't forgiven him for all his romantic affairs. He has, however, been seen with Infanta Elena and her sister, Infanta Margarita.