Princess Cristina charged with fraud

Princess Cristina, 49, the sister of King Felipe VI, has been officially charged with money laundering and tax fraud after a two year investigation into corruption.

The court in Palma de Mallorca upheld the charges and a trial is expected to take place shortly, she is accused, alongside her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, of embezzling  €6 million from public funds, intended for a charitable foundation.

The couple, who married in 1997 and were given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Palma, will now study the ruling with their legal team and lodge any appeal before a trial begins. After submitting their arguments, the judge will decide what formal charges will be issued, this is not expected to happen before September.

An investigating judge questioned the princess for over six hours in February over allegations that public funds had been used for work carried out on the couple’s home in Barcelona, alongside other personal items.

The formal charges against the princess come just under week after her brother Felipe took to the throne after the shock abdication of his father King Juan Carlos.