Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Spain’s former king seeks immunity from ex-lover’s spying claims

Businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn says Juan Carlos I showered her with gifts, but things turned sour when she refused to rekindle the relationship. The 57-year-old Danish businesswoman alleges she was threatened, and that gunshots were fired at and damaged security cameras at the front gate of her property.
Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I is seeking immunity from the English courts after his ex-lover accused him of spying on and harassing her, a London court was told on Monday.

Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn is seeking civil personal injury damages claim against the ex-monarch at the High Court.

But the 83-year-old Juan Carlos, who ruled from 1975 until his abdication in 2014, denies wrongdoing and argues that as a Spanish royal, English courts have no jurisdiction.

Court documents claimed that the pair were in an “intimate romantic relationship” between 2004 and 2009 and that the royal showered her with gifts, even after they broke up.

But the situation turned sour when she declined to rekindle the relationship, leading him to pursue “a pattern of conduct amounting to harassment”, it was alleged.

The 57-year-old claimant alleged she was threatened, had her overseas properties broken into, and that the now Abu Dhabi-based former king “demanded the return of gifts”.

“Further acts of covert and overt surveillance, causing distress and anxiety” included “trespass and criminal damage” to her home in rural central England.

Gunshots were fired at and damaged security cameras at the front gate of the property, she alleged, accusing the former king of being angry at her refusals.

Lawyers for zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn submitted that he had relinquished his status as sovereign or head of state when he abdicated, and as such was not entitled to immunity.

He could also not claim protection by being a dependent of his son, the current king Felipe VI, lawyer Jonathan Caplan said, and appeared to be trying to “frustrate” proceedings.

Daniel Bethlehem, representing Juan Carlos, said his client rejected the accusations of wrongdoing “in the strongest of terms”.

Under the terms of the State Immunity Act 1978, Juan Carlos was immune from the jurisdiction of the English courts. Any allegations had to be brought to Spain’s Supreme Court.

“This does not place His Majesty above the law, but only recognises that, given His Majesty’s constitutional position, he is properly subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Spain, and the Supreme Court of Spain alone,” the lawyer told the court.

“It is not, and cannot be, in the public interest of the United Kingdom that its courts sit in judgment of allegations raised against His Majesty.”

There was an “inherent public interest in protecting the dignity of the sovereign and close members of the royal family” because of their constitutional position, he added.

A judgment in the two-day hearing, where the former king is listed by his full name – Juan Carlos Alfonso Victor Maria De Borbon y Borbon – is expected at a later date.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×