A few days ago we were talking about grotesque video of the emeritus promoting his memoirs. The masterful embarrassment confirms that Juan Carlos I has gone from a decadent exile to a television puppet. The commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Crown and his attempt to write a book have ultimately backfired, because the media clearly understands that they can extract more profit from the old monarch by exploiting his miseries, rather than treating him as an institutional figure.

This 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 Thursday morning, the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid was the setting for what some considered a state affair. A crowd of journalists gathered outside the hotel to witness the presentation of Bárbara Rey's memoir: I, Barbara (Plaza & Janés). Her long and controversial affair with King Juan Carlos I, her relationship with her son, Ángel Cristo, and her relationship with some of the most prominent figures in the Spanish media scene are the pillars of the book.