King Felipe’s sister, Infanta Cristina, said she was suspending marital relations with her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, media outlets reported today.
Infanta Cristina stuck by her husband through a corruption trial and conviction, which sent him to jail for several years. He was recently photographed holding hands with another woman.
Infanta Cristina and Urdangarin married in 1997 in Barcelona.
King Felipe’s other sister, Infanta Elana, is divorced from her husband, Jaime de Marichalar.
Infanta Cristina and Urdangarin have four children together. They lost their ducal titles during his corruption scandal.
King Felipe last week stripped his sister Infanta Cristina of her Duchess of Palma title because of the corruption scandal embroiling her and her husband.
King Juan Carlos made infanta Cristina a duchess when she married Iñaki Urdangarin. But authorities accuse Urdangarin of using a non-profit company for personal gain. And the Infanta has stood by her husband.
The Royal Household under Don Juan Carlos had already stripped the couple of royal duties and had urged Infanta Cristina to renounce her dynastic rights. She has refused.
Infanta Cristina and her husband.
Events have moved fast. Infanta Cristina was in Spain recently with the rest of her family for Prince Kardam’s funeral.
However, now the dispute is over whether the King stripped Infanta Cristina of her title or she resigned it. She sent him a letter doing so at around the same time.
Infanta Cristina, King Juan Carlos’ youngest daughter, testified yesterday for several hours before a Balearic Islands judge in connection with her husband’s corruption investigation.
Infanta Cristina, according to media reports, said she trusted her husband and also appeared to vouch for his innocence.
Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma. Photo courtesy Organization of American States via Flickr.
Anti-corruption investigators believe the the infanta’s husband, Iñaki Urdangarin, used a sports related foundation to funnel public funds for personal use.
Even though prosecutors did not want to involve the King’s daughter in the formal investigation, Judge José Castro called her to testify over whether she had any knowledge or played a part in any crimes.
About 200 agents were at the courthouse for security, said media reports. There were also numerous supporters and anti-monarchy protesters. She smiled and greeted the crowd.
Officials allowed Infanta Cristina’s drivers to drop her off near the courthouse door but they denied any special treatment.
King Juan Carlos was hoping for this year to be better than the last. But the first week of 2014 is already giving him major headaches.
His Majesty made his first public Monday appearance outside his home, Zarzuela Palace, since his last hip surgery for the annual “Pascua Militar” event at the Royal Palace.
However, Don Juan Carlos still had trouble walking, relied on crutches and fumbled through parts of his speech.
The King’s physical weakness has led some officials to press him to consider abdication. He has declined to do so.
The Royal Household instead highlighted the austerity surrounding the ceremonies and said the King, who blamed low light in the palace’s Throne Room, was just as disappointed in himself.
But then came news that Judge José Castro had decided to subpoena the King’s daughter, Infanta Cristina, in the corruption investigation involving her husband, Iñaki Urdangarin.
An appeals court had thrown out a previous call for the Infanta to testify. The prosecutor in the case has expressed disagreement with involving her.
Still, she is due to appear in a Palma de Mallorca courtroom in March, according to various news sources.
Royal Household chief Rafael Spottorno has called for a swift resolution of the investigation. The King has said he respects judicial decisions.
King Juan Carlos and Prince Felipe meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida at Zarzuela Palace today.
While the Royal Household is looking to recover its eroded popularity — which it surveys regularly — this week’s events has led to more bad press.
The ongoing tough economy plus the loud calls for independence from at least some sectors of Catalan society are also a concern.
Media outlets reported that protestors jeered Queen Sofia and a number of public officials during a public event in Madrid this evening.
A court in Palma de Mallorca overturned today a recent subpoena against King Juan Carlos’ daughter Infanta Cristina in connection with her husband’s corruption investigation.
Judge José Castro, investigating allegations that Duke of Palma Iñaki Urdangarin used a non-profit company to line his pockets with government contracts, subpoenaed Infanta Cristina in April.
However, prosecutors appealed his decision citing lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, other members of the Royal Family are continuing with a busy schedule in part to rehabilitate the Crown’s image.
Balearic Islands Judge José Castro has named King Juan Carlos’ daughter Infanta Cristina in a corruption probe surrounding her husband Iñaki Urdangarin.
Infanta Cristina, center, at a Red Cross event.
Urdangarin is under investigation for allegedly using a non-profit company to funnel public funds for private gain.
Former associate Diego Torres has handed over documents in an attempt to tie other members of the Royal Family in the scandal.
The Royal Household — which expressed surprise at the news — has denied wrongdoing and King Juan Carlos years ago told Urdangarin to give up questionable business dealings.
Today Queen Sofia handed out awards to encourage greater access for people with disabilities.
Media reports indicate that prosecutors may ask a judge to include Infanta Cristina in their anti-corruption investigation involving her husband Iñaki Urdangarin.
Also, some politicians are re-opening the question of abdication, suggesting that King Juan Carlos make way for his son to take over as Head of State.
However, the Royal Household said there was no talk at all of abdication.
Prince Felipe leads a meeting on the economy at the Bank of Spain.
Today, Spanish Government Vice President Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, according to news reports, defended King Juan Carlos and the Monarchy as a uniting force in Spanish society.
She also dismissed efforts to include the Royal Household in new transparency legislation. She said it should remain autonomous from other agencies.
While the King has published budget and earnings information, the ruling conservative People’s Party says more open books would be unprecedented among major European Royal Houses.
Queen Sofia inaugurates new pharmaceutical facilities in Guadalajara.
Urdangarin is scheduled to testify again in the investigation this weekend.
Click here for a an Associated Press story on the Monarchy’s popularity troubles.
Click here for another story from the New York Times.
A new book by reporters for Spanish newspaper El Mundo is shedding some light into events that supposedly led to the ongoing corruption investigation against the King’s son-in law Iñaki Urdangarín.
The tome says that Urdangarin saw himself in financial trouble after buying what is often called a small palace in the exclusive Pedralbes area of Barcelona.
The book says that King Juan Carlos was upset at Urdangarin’s previous living arrangements with Infanta Cristina. Don Juan Carlos, it says, said his daughter was used to living in a palace and not a small apartment.
Also included is a story about Prince Felipe getting into an argument with Urdangarin over money. The reporters say the Prince was unhappy with his brother-in-law asking for help to pay for his expenses.
Adding to the drama, the book says that Urdangarin blamed Princess Letizia, a former journalist, for orchestrating at least some of his public troubles.
The Royal Household maintains that it told Urdangarin to give up his business dealings years ago.
The Royal Household has never asked Infanta Cristina to renounce her role within the Royal Family or to divorce her husband Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma de Mallorca.
El País royal watcher Mábel Galaz reported that a Household spokesman had denied rumors and reports that the King’s people had made the requests to the Infanta amid her husband’s ongoing legal troubles.
Infanta Cristina’s personal standard.
Galaz reported that Infanta Cristaina recently returned from a trip to Africa. However, the Royal Household is keeping her at a distance and off the official agenda.
LOS BORBONES 