A judge has rejected an appeal by lawyers for Spain's Princess Cristina against his decision to put her on trial on charges of tax fraud.

Cristina, 49, was indicted last month as part of a four-year investigation into her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who faces charges ranging from money-laundering to fraud.

She is the first member of the Spanish royal family to be ordered to stand trial since the monarchy was restored in 1975.

Palma de Mallorca investigative magistrate Jose Castro rejected her appeal today.

The trial is expected to take place later this year.

The indictment comes as Cristina's brother, King Felipe VI, has been trying to improve the family's image after his scandal-plagued father abdicated last year.

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