Spain’s Princess Cristina has sold her Barcelona mansion to pay for a court bond.
The 49-year-old royal – who is standing trial for tax fraud alongside her husband Inaki Urdangarin – has been forced to sell the seven-bedroom property with panoramic views of the city and a salt water pool for 6.95 million euros (£5.2 million) so she could afford to pay the liability fee to the Majorcan court, reports the Guardian newspaper.
The princess has been accused of tax evasion and money laundering offences along with her 47-year-old spouse and 17 other people at the firm Aizoon which she co-owns.
Cristina, the sister of King Felipe VI, could face up to four years in jail if she is found guilty with Inaki – who has also been charged with embezzling public funds, fraud, breach of legal duty, influence-peddling and money-laundering after allegedly using his Duke of Palma title to embezzle millions of euros through non-profit charity, the Noos Foundation.
The couple – who have four children Juan, 15, Pablo, 14, Miguel, 12, and Irene, nine – have denied all the charges.
At first, the sixth-in-line to the Spanish throne was only called in to court to give evidence in the case until the investigating judge, Jose Castro, decided she should be tried alongside her husband and other suspects.
Princess Cristina also tried to appeal against the embezzlement charges that had been brought against her.
Her lawyer Miquel Roca said at the time: "It is not a problem of optimism or pessimism, it is a question of absolute conviction of the innocence of our client."
Spain’s Princess Cristina sells mansion for court bond
