Princess Cristina of Spain takes the stand in her tax fraud trial

The sister of King Felipe refused to answer direct questions from the court in Palma, Majorca, and responded only to her lawyer’s pre-prepared ones

Princess Cristina of Spain testifies in court in Majorca (Reuters)

Princess Cristina of Spain has entered the witness box for the first time and told a court that she was the joint owner of a property company at the centre of her tax fraud trial because “my husband asked me to and I said yes”.

The sister of King Felipe refused to answer direct questions from the court in Palma, Majorca, and responded only to her lawyer’s pre-prepared ones. Cristina denies buying luxury items and holidays with a credit card belonging to Aizoon, a firm jointly owned with her husband, businessman Iñaki Urdangarin. She is accused of deducting the payments in her tax filings.

The first Spanish royal family member to face criminal charges, she faces up to eight years in prison if convicted. She told the court that her legal team would field questions by those bringing the case against her. During his own testimony, Mr Urdangarin, who faces up to 19 years in prison, also denied the charges and said his advisers told him his tax returns were correct.