Editorial: Royal twist

THE legal proceedings against Princess Cristina, the youngest daughter of king Juan Carlos of Spain, have always been controversial but yesterday the case came a step closer to an airing in a public court. But it is not actually clear if the princess is guilty of any alleged wrongdoing. In a quirk of the Spanish justice system, the anti-corruption prosecutor in Palma has supported princess Cristina’s defence in this case, arguing to the judge that there is not evidence of corruption. So the man who should be prosecuting the case has said that she has no case to answer. This should be the end of the story. But Judge Jose Castro has stood firm and yesterday the case took yet another twist. Now the the princess can appeal his decision and I suspect that her lawyers are already working on this motion but this royal scandal is not going to go away. Cristina did not attend her brother´s swearing in as the new king last week and there are some who believe that one of the reasons why king Juan Carlos abdicated was because of this scandal. The royal household are attempting to try and put some clear water between the king and this case. I sincerely hope that if there are legal grounds for the princess to go to trial then it is sooner rather than later. The last thing Spain needs at the moment is for this case to drag on for months. The popularity of the monarchy has already been damaged and the new king needs time to work without distractions.