Inaki Urdangarin, 43, a former Olympic athlete who carries the title Duke of Palma, will face court as part of an investigation into accusations that a non-profit organisation he ran was siphoning off funds from the regional government of the Balearic Islands – Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
The Noos Institute, which the duke ran from 2004 to 2006, is accused of misusing millions of euros in public funds.
The case has made the front pages of Spanish newspapers for weeks, but a judge's decision to name Mr Urdangarin as a formal suspect took the scandal to a new level.
The former handball player, who is married to King Juan Carlos's younger daughter, Princess Cristina, will have to appear in court in Palma, the capital of Majorca, on Feb 6.
He has not been charged with any crime and denies any wrongdoing.
But the ex-sportsman, who represented his country at three Olympic Games, apologised publicly this month for the embarrassment his legal problems were causing the royals. » | Nick Squires in Rome | Thursday, December 29, 2011
