A Spanish judge has ordered Princess Cristina, the sister of Spain’s King Felipe VI, to stand trial for alleged tax fraud, marking the first time a royal family member would be tried in court.
On Monday, Judge Jose Castro on the Spanish island of Mallorca said Christina faces two counts of acting as an accessory to tax fraud over alleged links to business dealings by her husband Iñaki Urdangarin.
Christina’s husband and his former business partner Diego Torres are accused of embezzling millions of euros in public funds through a non-profit institute. Urdangarin, the duke of Palma de Mallorca, allegedly diverted around 6 million euros (8.1 million dollars) of public funds through the institute, which was in his charge 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.
Last month, the high court on the island of Mallorca dismissed money-laundering charges against Cristina.
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.
According to a survey conducted earlier in June, the majority of Spain’s population is in favor of a referendum on the future of the monarchy in their country.
Spain has also become the scene of popular protests, urging the abolition of the monarchy in the country.
