Spanish royal appears on palace Christmas cards - despite scandal

Dec 17, 2011, 13:58 GMT

Madrid - The son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos has appeared on royal Christmas cards, despite ongoing questions about his role in a corruption scandal, it emerged Saturday.

Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball player, who has the title of Duke of Palma de Majorca, is suspected of channelling millions of euros in public and private funds to his companies through a non-profit institute he headed between 2004 and 2006.

Earlier this week it was announced that Urdangarin would not participate in official royal functions whilst the investigation was ongoing.

However, he appears on the card with his wife, Princess Cristina, and their four children.

The figure of Urdangarin has also been removed from Madrid's Wax Museum pending the result of the investigation.

Prosecutors are investigating charges that Urdangarin and his business partner Diego Torres used the Noos Institute - and the duke's prestige - to organize events related to sports and tourism in the Balearic Islands and in Valencia.

They allegedly overcharged for the events, and even charged for services which were not carried out, pocketing the extra income.

Torres has already been named an official suspect, and Urdangarin is expected to follow. That would make him the first member of the Spanish royal family to be indicted in a criminal case.

The athlete married Cristina, the middle of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia's three children, in 1997.