Spanish Judge Jose Castro ordered royal scion Princess Cristina to be tried along with her husband on charges of tax fraud yesterday.

The order made the king’s sister the first member of the country’s royal family to face court charges since the monarchy was restored in 1975.

In issuing the indictment, Judge Jose Castro ignored a prosecutor’s December 9 recommendation that Cristina Urdangarin should be fined and only her husband, Olympic medallist turned businessman Inaki Urdangarin, be tried.

If convicted, the princess could face up to four years in prison.

Alleged abuse of company funds to cover the couple’s expenses at their Barcelona home is part of the case Judge Castro has compiled about Aizoon, a real estate and consulting firm the couple co-owned.

The legal troubles of King Felipe VI’s sister during a four-year probe have banged a big dent in the Spanish monarchy’s image.

The case centres on allegations that Mr Urdangarin used his Duke of Palma title to embezzle about €6 million (£4.8 million) in public contracts through the Noos Institute, a non-profit foundation he set up with a business partner that channelled money to other businesses, including Aizoon.

Prosecutor Pedro Horrach had recommended charges for Mr Urdangarin carrying a possible sentence of more than 19 years in prison, while concluding that the princess should not be indicted but made to pay to pay a fine of €580,000 (£460,000) to cover the amount she could have profited from because of her husband’s dealings.