Photo

In the post-modern world of the Spanish monarchy, a picture is worth a mighty kingdom.

When Iñaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma and son-in-law of King Juan Carlos, makes his appearance Saturday in Palma, Majorca, for a widely anticipated day of private judicial testimony, almost 200 photographers and journalists will be vying for an image of him in court.

Mr. Urdangarin, 45, is mired in a corruption investigation, facing allegations that he profited from his blue blood pedigree with millions of euros in government contracts lavished on his non-profit sports foundation by top regional politicians in Spain.

But it will not be so easy to get that photograph, given the security preparations under way in the island city, according to early reports in the Spanish press. Although Mr. Urdangarin is being questioned in private by an investigating judge with a couple of dozen lawyers present, extraordinary measures have been prepared to prevent leaks of photographs.

National police will be posted next door to the courtroom, and a device will be used to jam wireless Internet services and mobile telephones — preventing untoward leaks. Even the lawyers will have to turn over their mobile phones, cameras and recorders. Laptops and and tablet computers will be permitted with documents on the case — though lawyers have been warned against turning their iPads into cameras or recorders.

A great part of the security process seems designed to prevent the publication of a bleak image of a royal in the court dock. But if previous testimony of the duke’s bitter former partner is any example, leaked e-mails and courtroom testimony quickly became newspaper headlines. The question is how long it will take this time.