A Balearic Islands anti-corruption judge has imposed an 8.2 million euro bail for King Juan Carlos’ son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma de Mallorca, and a former business partner.
Authorities are investigating the two for using their Noós Institute non-profit to steal public funds.
The New York Timesnoted that it was the first member of the Spanish Royal Family to appear in court in modern history.
The anti-corruption judge has also subpoenaed Carlos García Revenga, secretary to Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, Urdangarin’s wife. He has strongly denied wrongdoing and remains employed with the Royal Household.
Queen Sofia welcomes a new member to the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences.
King Juan Carlos, Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia have severely distanced themselves from their in-law. There are also reports of concern among the Spanish nobility.
King Juan Carlos, amid an ongoing effort to improve Spain’s brand abroad, especially amid a brutal recession, hosted members of the diplomatic corps at the Royal Palace in Madrid this week.
The King expressed support for Spain becoming a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. He also called for closer ties between European counties, and warned against blaming any one nation for the economic crisis.
“The world is increasingly complex and competitive,” the King said.
King Juan Carlos has also been meeting with newly-elected heads of different autonomous regions.
Upcoming is a much-anticipated meeting with Catalan President Artur Mas, who is expected to present His Majesty with a proposal for a referendum on independence.
Meeting with Iñigo Urkullu Rentería, Lehendakari of the Basque Country.
The Royal Household also announced King Juan Carlos’ planned visit to Morocco. The King is close to the Moroccan monarch despite occasional tensions over Spanish enclaves in North Africa.
King Juan Carlos’ son-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, will be back in court on February 23rd to testify before judge in connection to the ongoing public fraud investigation against him.
Urdangarin testified before a Balearic Islands judge around this time last year. He denies wrongdoing amid accusations that he used a non-profit for personal gain.
El País newspaper also reported that tax authorities accuse the Duke of using a real estate firm that he shared with his wife, Infanta Cristina, as a front to avoid taxes.
Prosecutors say they are not pursuing the King’s daughter.
The Royal Household has worked to distance itself from the scandal, with many Spaniards comparing it to other corruption probes involving the political class.
UPDATE: The Royal Household has removed Urdangarin’s personal profile from its official webpage. It’s evidence of the King and the Prince further distancing themselves from their in-law.
Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos, and Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia have unveiled their Christmas cards.
This year the Royal Household did not distribute cards for Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina, according to new protocol.
The King and Queen’s cards include a reproduction of Maarten van Heemskerck’s “The Adoration of the Shepherds,” part of the Royal Collection in El Escorial palace and monastery.
Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia put a picture of their daughters, Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia, on their own Christmas cards.
El País, citing a Royal Household source, said the Spanish people had largely forgiven King Juan Carlos for his controversial trip to Botswana.
But the corruption probe surrounding Infanta Cristina’s husband Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma de Mallorca, remains a problem for the Royal Family.
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.
Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma and Infanta Cristina’s husband, visited King Juan Carlos today along with other members of the Spanish Royal Family at Quirón San José Hospital in Madrid.
His Majesty was recovering from a previously scheduled hip surgery.
It was the first time, media reports indicated, since the King had met with his son-in-law since he became embroiled in a high profile corruption scandal. Infanta Cristina is said to have orchestrated the visit.
The visit also came just days after prosecutors asked a judge to approve roughly 4 million euro in bond for the Duke. They accuse him of stealing public funds along with his partner while heading the non-profit Noós Institute.
King Juan Carlos’ sisters, Infantas Pilar and Margarita, also visited him at the hospital.
Click here for video and coverage from Spanish Television.
King Juan Carlos is — using his own words — going back into to the shop. Doctors will soon perform yet another hip surgery on the Monarch, who has had difficulty walking.
Don Juan Carlos went under the knife earlier this year after his fall in Botswana. This time, however, doctors will treat his left hip.
The King said he delayed the surgery to make room for this weekend’s Cádiz Summit of Ibero-American heads of state and government. His Majesty has been deeply involved in hosting the event.
“Without a doubt the Cádiz Constitution provided the seed for ideas of liberty that influence so many European and American constitutions,” the King said speaking about the short-lived but important 1812 document.
Don Juan Carlos also spoke about the economic and social progress being made by many Latin American countries in contrast with the pain in Europe.
“Our sights are on you,” he told the leaders assembled. “You have made great efforts to be where you are and we can’t but recognize it and look for shared experiences.”
The King has made wooing Latin America a pillar of his agenda to help the Spanish economy. He recently toured several countries there, and today hosted a Royal Palace lunch for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
His Majesty awarded President Rousseff the Collar of Isabella the Catholic, Spain’s highest honor. And he encouraged Brazilian companies to invest in Spain.
The next Ibero-American summit will be in Panama. This year’s may be the last one hosted by King Juan Carlos in Spain.
Spain’s King Juan Carlos finished a four-day state visit to India today, where the two countries finalized several bilateral agreements and pledged increased economic cooperation.
King Juan Carlos meeting with business leaders in Mumbai.
The King met with the Indian leadership, along with local and international business leaders. Bilateral commerce between both countries was worth around $5 billion last year, the Royal Household said.
“Today our societies can only progress with a climate of openness, stability and security,” the King said during one of his stops. The King has made global trade a priority as a means of improving Spain’s ailing economy.
State Dinner in New Delhi.
The King secured Indian support for Spain gaining a seat in the United Nations Security Council. Other agreements include investment in a Catalonian firm and more joint defense activities.
King Juan Carlos offers flowers for Mahatma Gandhi.
Media outlets reported that King Juan Carlos said the situation inside Spain makes him want to cry, but he also encouraged people not to be pessimistic about the country’s future.
LOS BORBONES 