A Palma de Mallorca court has absolved Infanta Cristina, King Felipe’s sister, of fraud and corruption charges today.

Her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, the former Duke of Palma, may go to jail for more than six years.

At issue is a long-running case dealing with a group Urdangarin lead. Authorities accuse him of enriching himself through lucrative government contracts.

Even though the court absolved the infanta, King Juan Carlos’ daughter and former Duchess of Palma, she must pay a so-called civil responsibility.

The King and Queen Letizia continued with their schedule as usual. The Royal Household has expressed confidence in the justice system.

King Felipe’s rise to the throne after Don Juan Carlos’ abdication means Infanta Cristina is no longer a member of the core Royal Family.

The scandal also led her brother to strip her of her duchess title. She claims she resigned it first.

King Felipe addressed problems facing the European Union and Spain’s plans to work with the new Trump administration in the United States.

King Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, was the first head of state to visit President Obama at the White House. But Spain has said little about Trump.

During a reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid for the diplomatic corps last month, the King said, “It is our desire to continue working with the new administration at the same level of excellence that we have done until now.”

The King spoke in the Throne Room. The reception was nearby in the stately Hall of Columns.

On Europe, His Majesty said, “We are aware that the European project is being put into question” but he pointed to EU actions to address the financial crisis. “It’s time for a better Europe, not to undo the good we have built or to turn back.”

King Felipe and Queen Letizia met with German President Joachim Gauck and his partner Daniela Schadt.

Spain and Germany have close business and political ties. The two couples had lunch at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

 

 

King Felipe and Queen Letizia have held numerous public events in the weeks since launching their agenda for 2017.

King Felipe presided over a meeting of leaders of Spain’s autonomous communities, as seen above. The presidents of Catalonia and the Basque Country.

The King met with the Archbishop of Madrid at Zarzuela Palace. Pope Francis recently announced that Carlos Osoro Sierra would be a cardinal.

The King also received several ambassador credentials at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Queen Letizia, among the events she has led, handed out the latest Premio Tomás Francisco Prieto Awards.

King Felipe made an official visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month to secure bilateral political and economic relations.

Don Felipe met with King Salman and numerous other Saudi leaders during his roughly two days in the country.

King Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, made deep inroads in the Arab world to secure contracts for Spanish businesses.

Some critics, particularly on the left, criticized Don Felipe’s visit to the totalitarian regime.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia launched their agenda for the new year with the deeply traditional “Pascua Militar” events at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

During the ceremonies, the King meets with service members and addresses military leaders at the throne room.

Toward the end of the deeply traditional event, the crowd cheers for Spain and the King.

Since last week, the King and Queen have met with several groups and associations at Zarzuela Palace.

Today the King traveled to Portugal for the funeral of former President Mário Alberto Lopes Soares.

King Felipe dedicated his annual Christmas message to urging Spaniards to be more positive and resolute, and to work together toward a more prosperous future.

The King recognized country’s economic crisis and political difficulties, but also pleaded with Spaniards to focus on the nation’s growth and unity.

Don Felipe’s words were relatively forceful. “Intolerance and exclusion, the negation of the other or disrespect for another’s opinion, don’t fit in today’s Spain,” he said.

Like previous years, the King also alluded — albeit indirectly — to nationalist movements in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

“Breaking the norms that guarantee our democracy and liberty only leads to tensions and sterile clashes that don’t resolve anything, and to the moral and material worsening of the society,” he said.

Mainstream parties welcomed the King’s message. Populist party Podemos accused the monarch of not listening to his people.

Many Spaniards tend to be pessimistic about their country, even amid the recovery. Nationalist movements have also flared, particularly since the empire’s fall.

King Felipe — caretaker of the country’s unity, according to the constitution — has been using his bully pulpit to reverse those social trends.

The Spanish Royal Household has released samples of the King and Queen’s holiday card.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s card includes a family picture with their daughters — Leonor, the Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofia.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, as previous years, featured a work of art.

Their card included a picture of a centuries-old religious sculpture at a Spanish monastery.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia made a joint appearance last week at the Madrid Royal Palace.

King Felipe’s parents opened a new exhibit of royal collections there, part of Patrimonio Nacional’s effort to put more artifacts on display at the palace.

Gossip has long surrounded King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, but the two have attended several events together in recent months.