Mixing historic anecdotes and regret over his own scandals, Spain’s exiled king Juan Carlos I seeks to reconcile himself with his family and nation in newly-published memoirs that offer dramatic reminiscences from one of the last surviving players of 20th-century history.

From holding Franco’s hand on the dictator’s deathbed to helping defuse a coup, the 87-year-old reviews well-known moments from Spain’s history in his 500-page book, published in French on Wednesday and in Spanish next month.

Seeking to mend relations with his estranged son, Spain’s King Felipe VI, Juan Carlos also confronts his individual pain and isolation — from seeing his brother die in a childhood shooting accident to the romantic and financial “mistakes” that drove him back into exile in his eighties.

“There is n

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