Former King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Seeking Relevance, Publishes Book NYT | Top Stories Jason Horowitz 11 December 2025 at 13:01 King Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicated and left for exile years ago. Now, his attempted comeback is giving his family a royal headache. © Ana Brigida/Associated PressJuan Carlos I of Spain, in February. He has been mostly left out of recent celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Spain’s transition to democracy, in which he was instrumental.