02/02/2013 00:00
TW
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London.—Yesterday, less than 24 hours after Palma City Council announced that the street named in honour of the Duke and Duchess will revert back to its original name “La Rambla”, the first step towards the Duke being possibly stripped of his title was taken.

At yesterday's council meeting, which was dogged by other issues and protests about alleged corruption within the ruling Partido Popular at local and national levels, the decision to ask the King of Spain's son-in-law to stop using his title in public and society was taken.

Last week, the President of the Balearics, Jose Ramon Bauza, said that Palma City Council would be well within its rights to ask for the Duke to either stop using his title or for the royal household to strip him of his title completely.

And yesterday, the City Council proceeded and asked the Duke, who along with his partner Diego Torres were set bail at nearly 8.2 million euros on Wednesday, to stop using his title in public or socially.

However, the same request has not been made for his wife, the King's youngest daughter, Princess Cristina who is the Duchess of Palma.
Palma City Council claims that it has taken such steps in respect of the wishes of the majority of the general public in Palma who are apparently deeply unhappy and ashamed of what the Duke of Palma has allegedly done.

Respect for royals
The extreme left PSM-IV-ExM coalition and the Socialists want the council to go a step further and ask the royal household to strip the Duke of his title but the PP run council said that, out of respect to the royal family, that is unlikely.

City Council spokesperson, Julio Martinez, said that Palma and Majorca “has a long standing relationship with the royal family. They are very important for many Majorcans when they spend their Easter and Summer holidays here and attend various charity events and we respect that.” Even though the Duke has yet to be charged with a crime, he is a suspect in a case in which he and his partner allegedly funneled about 5 million euros in public funds, some of it from the Balearic government, to companies they controlled.

The Palma court on Wednesday gave them five days to pay the near 8.2 million euros in bail and they are free to agree between themselves on how to divide the total amount.

Failure to meet the deadline will mean that Urdangarin will have properties embargoed but would not go to prison.
Yesterday, after talks with the Duke and Duchess, Urdangarin's lawyer said that the Princess has been deeply affected by the implication of her private secretary while the Duke is also feeling the pressure.