The revelations from the memoirs of Juan Carlos seem endless, as he admits for the first time how he shot and killed his younger brother when they were teenagers, revealing the trauma he has carried for nearly seven decades. The former King of Spain, who now lives in self-exile in Dubai, published his memoirs in France, a 500-page book titled “Juan Carlos I d’Espagne: Réconciliation,” where he describes the tragic incident of 1956 in Portugal.
Juan Carlos: “The bullet hit my brother in the forehead”
In the chapter titled “The Tragedy,” Juan Carlos writes that the two brothers were “playing” with a pistol at the family home when they thought they had removed the magazine. “We had no idea that one bullet remained in the chamber. A gunshot was heard, the bullet fired and hit my brother in the forehead. He died in our father’s arms,” he describes with shock.
According to the book, their father reportedly grabbed him by the neck, shouting: “Swear to me you didn’t do it on purpose!” The then young prince covered his brother’s body with the Spanish flag and threw the weapon into the sea.
Juan Carlos: “I will never recover from this tragedy”
“I will never recover from this tragedy. Its weight will accompany me forever,” writes the former king, adding that he continues to think about his brother daily. “I miss him, I wish I could talk to him again. If he hadn’t died, my life would have been less miserable.”
Author and historian Laurence Debray, who worked on the project for two years, stated that the book is “quite revealing” and includes references not only to the 1956 tragedy, but also to Juan Carlos’s relationships with his son, King Felipe, and Queen Letizia.
The former monarch, who ruled from 1975 to 2014, also addresses the scandals that led to his downfall, from extramarital affairs to the notorious elephant safari in Botswana in 2012, while denying any romantic relationship with Princess Diana.
The book will be released in Spain in December, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Franco’s death and the restoration of the monarchy.
