He has written hundreds of articles on Corona “and they have neither sued me nor asked for correction because they know what I have published is true.” Pilar Eyre, journalist and author, The king had to endure criticism and “punishments” for telling what has now come to light about the honorary. This Friday he returns to the Maestral Literary Evenings to present his book. when we were yesterday. The story of the 2014 Planeta Award finalist 1968 Barcelona, a city in full expansion, full of contrasts, political struggles and women as engines of change. It will be at 8:30 pm at the Maestral restaurant in Alicante.
when we were yesterday sounds nostalgic.
No, the truth is, it’s not a nostalgic book. It has lots of humor, lots of contrasts, it’s a book that I don’t try to mythologize any era because it had very difficult moments between 68 and 92 and it is rich in historical events such as the struggle against Franco, sexual freedom, democracy… Years in the fine print of history books, in which the lives of the people who took part in it were told very little. Maybe that’s why I felt the need to write this book.
It covers many topics: Catalan society in the late ’60s, the role of the obedient woman in proper weddings, but also rebellion, love, prohibition, the struggle against Franco…
When they ask if it’s good or bad, is there a woman who has died from gender-based violence, which is already wrong and the feminist struggle needs to continue. But we come from underground. When I got married, I had to get a paper from the priest to confirm that we were a married couple and to admit us to hotels; Buying the pill was a very complicated thing. While it is true that we were more warriors than anyone, precisely because we were fighting against giants, we were very strong, very strong. Many of us were imprisoned, tortured, that made us very strong. Not a generation passed from my mother’s generation to mine, a hundred generations passed. Things that seemed simple to us now included decision making that at the time caused constant fights with families. We wanted a new world and something completely different. Now I miss being a little belligerent, current generations are more accommodating. Now when you protest, the price you pay is big, they make fun of you, they put a label on you.
Gender violence was and was back then, but it was hidden.
Gender-based violence crimes back then were crimes of passion, viewed as something unnatural, not to exaggerate, as something out there. Children were also beaten. There was an atmosphere of permissible violence.
Are we worse off?
Worse no, we are infinitely better. Whoever says we’re worse doesn’t know the time. So you couldn’t do anything. I think I was the only girl in school who went to college. The rest got married and followed this path. I discovered my mother when she was sick, we lived together for two years, and I saw that she was an attentive, very intelligent and cultured woman.
For the Spanish crown it was also worth the title of his novel.
One thing was what they represented and what we saw, another was reality, but we were left in the dark because there was no one to tell us about it. I found him holding hands with another woman in a restaurant when they said King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were a great team at the Barcelona Olympics. They calmly continued as they knew I wasn’t going to say anything. Then I put it in one of my books. And exactly the same with the money problem. Juan Carlos has been getting commissions since 72. As it was after 23 F, they had a pact to leave him alone. When I started publishing books about the monarchy, they hurt me in many ways, they fired me, they tried to discredit me… I had a lot of trouble because of my books.
“I miss the slightly belligerent attitude of women, current generations are more accommodating<“
Did no one really know what King Juan Carlos was doing outside of Spain?
For years before me there were journalists who tried to explain something about the king, about his contacts with Arab countries, but they all paid a very high price and they do not want to talk about these issues. I’ve been saying this for a long time, too, and I hope people have no doubt that we’re telling the truth. I’ve written hundreds of articles and a dozen books on bourbons and have never filed a lawsuit or been asked to rectify. They know I’m telling the truth. They contacted me to say they didn’t like it, but beyond that, no.
You are an expert on the Spanish monarchy. Is there a corporate tour?
Well, if Letizia and Felipe continue as they have been so far, and I think they’re doing pretty well, I think it is. Getting this racket back is much more complicated and now there are more pressing issues. I see that the issue of the Republic is not seriously brought up by any party, not even those who have the Republic in their DNA.
What appears to be less is the honorary king, who has gone from being one of the most admired and respected figures in Spain and the world to being rejected and stepped aside. Would return in June after a visit to Sanxenxo and it doesn’t seem like it.
And remember that on 1 July he had a very important case in London, accused of defaming and abusing Corina, two serious charges, and the British judges refused to protect her. They say it’s going to be an out-of-court settlement, and that seems disastrous to me because it means admitting that he’s guilty. Now he would have the opportunity to explain himself, and I don’t know if he will. And it’s good for me that it doesn’t come in June. The last ride was weird, it was out of control. I think we’ll see very little of him here.
“I’ve written a dozen books on bourbons and never filed a lawsuit or requested a fix”
How damaging is your image to the figure of your son, King Felipe VI?
I think it’s delimited and people distinguish who is one and who is another. Felipe was seen and praised as the victim of his father. Those who attack Don Juan Carlos praise Felipe, those who defend Juan Carlos harm Felipe.
Do you think there’s a lot to draw on about the honorary king?
man yes Many things are missing. I posted last year I am King, but he could write four books with all the information there. We’ve seen the tip of the iceberg, over 40 years of complete immunity. What I don’t understand is why does this person need to do all this. A poll was conducted on the most admired people in Catalonia in 1992 and Juan Carlos came in second. His image was very good in all areas. What pisses him off even more is that it’s pure greed that drives him.
What does Queen Letizia think of her father-in-law?
They’re bad from the start. He had no choice but to accept. They told me that first he treated her with utter indifference, then he attacked her, and finally, when Letizia felt stronger, her attitude towards her changed.
You’re the one they’ll be acting like queen at Friday’s Maestral Literary Evenings. A menu according to the book and a special wine named Rafael as the protagonist.
This is great. I’m so excited. I have many friends because I have already been to Literary Evenings several times and I love Alicante. I really want.