Spain's Princess Cristina facing serious charges

MADRID -- A Spanish judge has ordered the king's sister, Princess Cristina, to be tried along with her husband on charges of tax fraud, the first member of the country's royal family to go to court since the royalty was restored in 1975.

Judge Jose Castro in a ruling issued Monday went against a recommendation issued Dec. 9 by a prosecutor proposing fines for Cristina and a trial only for her husband, Olympic handball-medalist-turned-businessman Inaki Urdangarin.

Suspected abuse of company funds to cover the couple's expenses at their Barcelona home is among evidence Castro has compiled about Aizoon, a real estate and consulting firm Cristina co-owned with Urdangarin.

Cristina and Urdangarin have both denied any wrongdoing, reports the Reuters news agency.

The legal troubles of King Felipe VI's sister during a four-year probe have damaged the Spanish monarchy's image.

Cristina's father, Juan Carlos, abdicated in June after a number of scandals, Reuters adds.