Spanish King Juan Carlos's daughter Cristina has entered court smiling under the gaze of the world's media to answer fraud accusations, a historic first for the troubled royal family.
After stepping out of a dark car on Saturday, the blonde-haired princess walked the final few steps into a court in Palma de Majorca, nodding to television crews, photographers and reporters crowded near the door.
Dressed in a white shirt and black jacket, the 48-year-old princess appeared relaxed as she headed into the closed-door hearing with a judge who suspects her of tax fraud and money-laundering.
Scores of pro-republican protesters rallied just outside a police-patrolled exclusion zone, brandishing banners with slogans such as "Royal blood unreal justice" or "Heads of state by the ballot, not the cradle".
Inside the courtroom, red velvet chairs were lined up where Cristina must sit before investigating judge Jose Castro, overlooked by a photograph portrait of her own father, Juan Carlos, 76.
Unlike most suspects, the court gave Cristina the right to drive down a paved ramp to the court entrance, citing security concerns raised by the police.
The decision spared the princess a longer, potentially humiliating walk to justice in front of the media's lenses.
Long thought untouchable as a royal, Cristina finds herself in the centre of scandal, accused of being complicit in allegedly fraudulent business dealings of her husband, who is also under investigation.
Neither Cristina nor her husband, former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin, have been formally charged with any crime and both deny wrongdoing.
