Editorial: A distant memory

I remember attending a reception at Palma town hall with hundreds of others when it was announced that the Infanta Cristina, daughter of King Juan Carlos (as he was then) and her husband Iñaki Urdangarin had been named the Duke and Duchess of Palma. It was a joyous occasion and in some ways brought the Spanish royal family even closer to Majorca. The crowds were cheering and it was a day to remember in Palma. The council announced that a city centre street would be named in their honour. Flash forward fifteen years and that event seems a distant memory. The city centre street has reverted to its old name, both the Infanta and her husband have been questioned by a Palma judge over tax fraud and wrongdoing and now they have both been stripped of their royal title. A sad end to what was a fairy tale start. Now, I still take the view that everyone is innocent until they are proved guilty and both the Infanta and her husband have denied any wrongdoing. The judiciary claim differently, alleging that Urdangarin defrauded an estimated six million euros. His wife has been charged with tax fraud.  They could both go on trial in Palma later this year, in a law court just a stones´ throw away from the street which was once named in their honour. Now, the decision to strip the couple of their title has not come as a surprise it had been muted for some time, but it is certainly a clear indication of how times have changed. That reception now a distant memory.