A former girlfriend of a previous Spanish king has claimed before a judge in London that she was the target of a “sinister” plot by a “particularly ruthless” guy.
Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a 58-year-old Danish businesswoman, has accused Juan Carlos of harassing her and filed a claim for damages in excess of £126 million, claiming the alleged harassment has had a “catastrophic” effect on her life.
In the case, Ms. zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn accuses the former king of harassing her, which she alleges caused her “great mental pain.”
Mr Carlos has denied the allegations.
Legal proceedings are currently underway at the Royal Courts of Justice complex in central London, presided over by Mrs. Justice Collins Rice.
Lawyers representing Juan Carlos have requested the dismissal of Ms. zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn’s claim, who insists that the case should proceed.
Jonathan Caplan KC, leading Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn’s legal team, said his client had described the former king as ‘exceptionally ruthless’ in a witness statement.
Mr Caplan said Juan Carlos had begun a ‘sinister campaign to control her’ and argued that a trial is inevitable due to the substantial factual disputes between the parties involved.
‘There are a series of substantial issues of fact here between the parties,’ he told the judge.
‘They cannot be decided without hearing evidence.’
He added: ‘The applications by the defendant are misconceived.’
Meanwhile, barrister Adam Wolanski KC, representing Juan Carlos, told the judge that Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn’s case had ‘no realistic’ prospect of success and that his client emphatically denies any harassment allegations.
A number of other judges have overseen earlier hearings in the litigation.
Ms. zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a Danish national, resided in Monaco from 2008 to 2019 and currently has homes in London and Shropshire.
Mr. Wolanski also seeks a ruling from Mrs. Justice Collins Rice stating that English judges have ‘no jurisdiction’ to consider certain allegations.
Judges have been told that Juan Carlos ruled from 1975 until his abdication in 2014 and the succession of his son, King Felipe VI.
Notably, Juan Carlos won a previous round of the case when the Court of Appeal judges in London concluded that pre-abdication conduct was outside the jurisdiction of English courts.
However, this ruling does not affect claims made by Ms. zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn regarding Juan Carlos’s behavior after his abdication in December.
The High Court hearing is expected to conclude later this week as the legal battle between the two parties continues.