Laurence Debray keeps her promise and makes the final decision with King Juan Carlos

French writer Laurence Debray has kept the promise she made some time ago to King Juan Carlos: to help him tell his story in the first person. She hasn't just kept her word, but now she has decided to take things a step further. Yes, she has chosen to speak openly about what it has been like to work side by side with the emeritus king.

In an interview, she has shared intimate, personal, and professional details of a process that has lasted for months. It has been an intense task that has resulted in a highly desired work: the memoirs of Felipe VI's father, under the title Reconciliation. The book will be released on November 12 by Editorial Planeta, both in France and Spain.

Laurence Debray takes a firm step and reveals what it has been like to work with King Juan Carlos

For many, the fact that King Juan Carlos finally decided to publish his memoirs seemed almost impossible. He himself confessed that his father never even allowed him to consider that idea. Now, in an act of sincerity and with the desire to leave a mark on history, he has taken the step.

He has done so with Laurence Debray, an author with a recognized career, who had already written about him in the past. This time, however, the approach has been completely different, as she has revealed. She stated: "It was an unprecedented exercise for me, and not without doubts, but he fully trusted me."

In the interview for ¡Hola!, Debray hasn't held back on praise for the emeritus king. She described him as "a meticulous and dedicated worker" and emphasized that "he devoted himself to the project with absolute seriousness. Every word, every expression, was chosen with the utmost care."

She added: "Perhaps the fact that I'm not Spanish gave him the freedom to speak frankly." This frankness is a notable feature of the memoirs of Felipe VI's father.

King Juan Carlos seeks reconciliation with these memoirs, according to Laurence Debray

The title of the book is no coincidence. As Debray explained, the purpose of Reconciliation is clear: King Juan Carlos "wants Spaniards to reconcile with their history, to recover their pride. It's his legacy, his way of saying: 'Here I am, this is my truth.'"

Likewise, the French writer has stated that the emeritus king's memoirs will cover everything from his childhood in exile to his retirement in Abu Dhabi. That's why the book will address his complicated relationship with his father, with Franco, his role in the Transition. Of course, the recent years marked by controversy and his withdrawal from public life will also be included.

The author, meanwhile, has decided to break her silence and grant this interview as a gesture of respect and transparency. She wants the public to understand that the process has been real, intense, and full of nuances. Her decision to speak now is her way of providing context for the release of the book.

A desired book, King Juan Carlos's, that will give people much to talk about

The anticipation surrounding Reconciliation keeps growing. Not only because these are King Juan Carlos's first memoirs, but also because they come at an especially delicate moment for his image. The content will surely leave no one indifferent.

Laurence Debray has kept her promise. She has worked side by side with a key historical figure, she has organized his story, and now she has made the final decision. Yes, to step forward and explain what's behind the book.

Her role has been more than that of an author. She has been a confidant, an emotional editor, an interpreter of silences.

On November 12, when Planeta simultaneously publishes this volume in France and Spain, a new chapter will begin for the emeritus king. It will be time to read, judge, and perhaps reconcile.