Spain's King strips title of duchess from his sister

Spain's King Felipe VI has stripped the title of duchess from his sister, the palace said, heaping pressure on Cristina de Borbon to give up her succession rights as she prepares to stand trial on tax fraud charges.

The bold move by the 47-year-old king, crowned nearly a year ago after the abdication of his father Juan Carlos, is part of a bid to revive the image of a monarchy tarnished by scandals.

Cristina is due to stand trial as soon as this year and will be the first Spanish royal to face prosecution. Graft investigations in Spain have exposed high-level corruption throughout society, damaging Spaniards' faith in their institutions.

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