07.11.2025 20:44
Spain's former king Juan Carlos has broken his silence regarding his brother's death after 70 years. In his upcoming memoir, he revealed that he shot his brother Alfonso in the forehead while playing with a gun in 1956. The incident was hidden for years, labeled as an "accident," but the former king's confession is now shaking all of Spain.
The exiled 87-year-old former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, has finally confessed to a family tragedy he has kept secret for years. In his upcoming memoir titled "My Life, My Truth," he revealed that he accidentally shot his brother, Infante Alfonso, in their family home in Portugal in 1956.
Juan Carlos stated in his book, "I will never be able to shake off the weight of this tragedy. We removed the magazine, but we didn't know there was a bullet in the chamber." The former king recounted that the bullet ricocheted and struck his brother in the forehead, and that Alfonso died in their father's arms.
THE ROYAL FAMILY'S SECRET TRAGEDY
No official investigation was opened regarding Juan Carlos, who was only 18 years old at the time. The former king recounted that his father threw the gun into the sea and covered Alfonso's body with the Spanish flag, expressing the aftermath of the incident with the following words:
"My father shook me and said, 'Promise me you didn't do this on purpose.' But our relationship was never the same again."
Juan Carlos noted that he still cannot forget his brother, saying, "I lost a friend, a confidant. My life darkened after that. I still think about him every day."
REIGN SHADOWED BY SCANDALS
After the tragedy, Juan Carlos returned to military school and ascended to the throne after Francisco Franco's death in 1975. However, he faced public criticism for a long time due to corruption allegations, sexual scandals, and a lavish lifestyle.
The former king, who abdicated the throne to his son VI. Felipe in 2014, was also in the news for allegations that he had relationships with "over 2,000 women."
MEMOIRS TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF FRANCO'S DEATH
Juan Carlos, who is living in exile in Dubai, will have his memoir published in Spain on the 50th anniversary of General Francisco Franco's death.
The date of the book's publication coincides with a period of renaissance for the monarchy, and the former king's confession has caused a significant stir in Spain.