Princess Cristina of Spain is due to be questioned in court in connection with a corruption scandal involving the business dealings of her husband Inaki Urdangarin.
It will be the first time in history that a member of Spain’s royal family has appeared in court as the subject of a criminal investigation.
Inaki Urdangarin is alleged to have defrauded regional governments of millions of euros of public money.
Infanta Cristina and Inaki Urdangarin deny any wrongdoing, and have not been charged.
Spain’s royal household admits the case has damaged the reputation and credibility of Spain’s royals, and, partly because of this scandal, the popularity of King Juan Carlos has fallen in recent years.
Pro-republican campaigners have vowed to demonstrate near the court.
Princess Cristina of Spain is due to be questioned in court in connection with a corruption scandal involving the business dealings of her husband Inaki Urdangarin
Princess Cristina, 48, will be accompanied by her lawyer as she answers dozens of questions from a judge in a closed-door hearing.
Proceedings are set to start at 10:00 local time at the main court building in Palma de Mallorca, capital of the Balearic Islands.
The judge has named her as a fraud and money-laundering suspect.
The allegations relate to a supposedly not-for-profit organization called Noos, of which Inaki Urdangarin was president.
The foundation staged a series of sporting events for the regional governments of the Balearic Islands and Valencia.
Inaki Urdangarin is accused of organizing the events at hugely inflated prices.
With a former business partner, he is alleged to have received a total of 5.6 million euros ($7.5 million) in public money.
Princess Cristina is suspected of spending some of that money on personal expenses.
There are also questions about what Princess Cristina knew about the alleged wrongdoing of her husband.
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Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has been summoned to appear in court over accusations of fraud and money-laundering.
The 48-year-old Spanish princess has been linked to the business affairs of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who is being investigated for alleged embezzlement.
Infanta Cristina, the youngest daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, has been summoned to appear in court over accusations of fraud and money-laundering
Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca, is now a formal suspect and should appear in court on March 8.
It is believed to be the first time a direct relative of the king will appear in court accused of wrongdoing.
A judge in Spain has ordered properties belonging to King Juan Carlos’ son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin to be impounded amid a corruption scandal that has embarrassed the royal family.
Inaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, is suspected of misusing millions of euros in public funds that were given to a charitable foundation he ran.
The judge ordered the seizure to cover a 6.1 million euro ($8.2 million) bond for the duke’s liability in the case.
Inaki Urdangarin has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime.
The former Olympic handball player is married to King Juan Carlos’s second child, the Infanta Cristina.
Inaki Urdangarin is married to King Juan Carlos’s second child, the Infanta Cristina
One of the properties targeted by the judge is a large luxury house on the outskirts of Barcelona belonging to the duke and Princess Cristina.
Several other properties belonging to them in the Balearic Islands and in north-east Spain have also been seized.
Inaki Urdangarin and his former business partner Diego Torres are suspected of siphoning off money given by regional governments to the Noos Institute to organize sporting events.
It is alleged that some of the money ended up in companies controlled by the duke and in offshore bank accounts.
The events allegedly happened between 2004 and 2006, when the duke stepped down as head of the institute.
Diego Torres has also denied any wrongdoing.
Inaki Urdangarin was suspended from official royal engagements in December last year.
Infanta Cristina, who is seventh in line to the throne and also denies any wrongdoing, recently moved to Switzerland in the hope of shielding the couple’s children from unwanted media attention.
King Juan Carlos is credited with guiding Spain’s transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
