Juan Carlos says Franco, on his deathbed, entrusted him with preserving the unity of Spain
France 3 airs controversial interview with the former king
controversial ‘autobiographical’ documentary about former Spanish King
Juan Carlos de Borbon. The documentary was co-produced by TVE, Spanish
public television, which in recent years has avoided covering scandals
involving the former monarch. Spanish television has so far refused to
air the documentary.
The documentary, built around an interview with Juan Carlos, shows
the former monarch defending his political career and at one point
revealing a request made to him by Franco, the Spanish dictator: ‘The
day before he died, he took my hand and all he asked was: Your Highness,
preserve the unity of Spain’. The father of the present king
underscored the significance of the request by adding: ‘And, if you
think about it, that was loaded with meaning’, in what appears to be a
veiled reference to the Catalan quest for independence.
In 1969, the fascist dictator officially named Juan Carlos as his
successor in the role of king, which he served as until 2014, when he
abdicated in favour of his son Felipe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=awFlEDyBVEY
