Spain’s king strips sister of her Duchess of Palma title
Spain’s King Felipe VI has issued a decree that strips his sister Princess Cristina de Borbon of her title as Duchess of Palma.
"The Official Journal of the state will tomorrow (Friday) publish a royal decree by which His Majesty the King will revoke the use of the title of Duchess of Palma de Mallorca by Her Royal Highness the Infanta Cristina," the palace said in a statement on Thursday.
The move comes as the princess faces tax evasion charges, an allegation that has embarrassed the monarchy of Spain.
Princess Cristina, 49, is facing prosecution as part of a four-year investigation of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who is accused of money laundering and fraud. No date has been set for her trial, but it is widely expected to take place toward the end of the year.
The princess is the first Spanish royal to face prosecution since the monarchy was restored in 1975.
Urdangarin and his former business partner, Diego Torres, are accused of embezzling millions of euros in public funds through a non-profit institute.
In December, a judge involved in the investigation ruled that she must stand trial on two counts of accessory to tax fraud.
Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, allegedly diverted around six million euros (USD 8.1 million) of public funds through the institute that he headed from 2004 to 2006.
Cristina, who was allegedly fully aware of her husband’s criminal actions but did nothing to notify the authorities, has denied all charges related to the case. Urdangarin has also denied any wrongdoing.
Spain’s Supreme Court on the island of Mallorca dropped money-laundering charges against Christina in November 2014.
The Spanish public’s confidence in the monarchy has been recently in decline following a series of financial scandals over the last few years, including Princess Cristina’s case.
Princess Cristina's father, Juan Carlos, abdicated in June 2014 after a series of scandals involving the royal family.
According to a survey conducted in the same month, the majority of Spain’s population is in favor of a referendum on the future of the monarchy in their country.
Spain has been the scene of popular protests urging the abolition of the monarchy in the country.
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