King Juan Carlos I, the former monarch of Spain, is addressing long-standing rumors about his alleged affair with Princess Diana in his forthcoming memoir Reconciliation, set to be published in France on November 5. At 87, and having lived in self-imposed exile in the United Arab Emirates for the last five years after abdicating in 2014, Juan Carlos opens up about his rise to power, his reign, and his relationships, providing a candid reflection on his life.
In a preview of the book published by The Telegraph, the former king denies the widely circulated rumors of an affair with Diana, despite his reputation as a womanizer. He describes Diana unfavorably in the memoir, calling her “cold, taciturn, distant, except in the presence of the paparazzi.” The rumors about their alleged relationship began when Diana, along with her then-husband Prince Charles and their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, vacationed at Marivent Palace, the Spanish royal family’s summer home in Palma de Mallorca, for three consecutive summers between 1986 and 1988.
During these vacations, Juan Carlos and Diana, along with other royals such as King Constantine of Greece, were frequently photographed together, basking in the Spanish summer aboard the royal yacht Fortuna. Given the king’s reputation and the strain in Diana’s marriage—largely due to Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles—rumors of a romantic entanglement naturally circulated. While Diana never publicly addressed the rumors, she did tell biographer Andrew Morton that she found Juan Carlos “a little too attentive.” She reportedly said she felt uncomfortable being left alone with him, though she assured her friends that nothing untoward happened. Diana even referred to Juan Carlos as “a very libidinous man” in a conversation following a visit to Mallorca, according to Morton’s Ladies of Spain.
Juan Carlos, who ascended to the throne in 1975 following the death of dictator Francisco Franco, played a pivotal role in dismantling Franco’s regime and installing democracy in Spain. His actions, such as preventing attempted coups and establishing democratic reforms, bolstered his popularity as a global leader. However, by 2013, his reign had become mired in scandal due to multiple romantic affairs, financial mismanagement, and an infamous elephant hunting trip to Africa, leading to his abdication in favor of his son, King Felipe.
In 2020, following ongoing financial scandals, Juan Carlos moved to the UAE, citing a desire to avoid overshadowing his son’s reign. He explained in a recent interview with Le Figaro that he sought a place where the Spanish media could not easily find him, in order to shield his son from public attention. His wife, Queen Sofía, remains in Spain and often attends royal events with King Felipe and his family.
As the Spanish government plans public festivities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Franco’s death on November 20, Juan Carlos’s role in the Spanish royal family remains uncertain. It has yet to be revealed if he will participate in the celebration, although he has returned to Spain several times since his exile. In his interview with Le Figaro, Juan Carlos stated that he wrote Reconciliation to assert his place in the history of Spain, declaring, “Democracy didn’t just fall from the sky!”
The memoir promises to provide further insight into the former king’s views on his legacy, his reign, and his role in shaping modern Spain, offering a personal perspective on the controversies that have defined his later years.
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