King
Felipe VI of Spain has removed the title "Duchess of Palma" from his
sister, Princess Cristina, who is to go on trial charged with tax evasion.
She was granted the title
in 1997 when she married Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball player who
is also accused of tax evasion.
Princess Cristina had asked
the king to remove her title, her lawyer said.
But the royal palace said
the king made the decision before seeing her request. She denies the tax fraud
charges.
Prosecutors in Palma de
Mallorca have long been investigating the business dealings of Inaki
Urdangarin.
He stands accused with 15
others of embezzling 5.6m euros of public money from the Noos Institute - a
charitable sports foundation he ran with a business partner. The princess is
accused of involvement in the alleged scam.
It is the first time in
modern Spain's history that a member of the royal family has faced court
cross-examination in a major corruption scandal.
Cristina is the youngest
daughter of former King Juan Carlos, who abdicated last year.
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