'Ex-Spanish King Juan Carlos threatened his ex-lover', High Court told

An associate of the former Spanish King Juan Carlos 'threatened his ex-lover at a London hotel' before an 'intruder at her Swiss apartment left a book about the death of Princess Diana on her coffee table', the High Court has heard.

Juan Carlos, 83, is seeking immunity from the English courts over allegations he caused his ex-lover Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, a Danish businesswoman, 'great mental pain' by spying on and harassing her. 

Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, 57, is attempting to pursue a civil claim in the High Court in London for personal injury damages over the former king's alleged actions.

It comes after it emerged three of Spain's largest firms paid an alleged lover of Juan Carlos £4.6million to keep evidence of their affair secret, according to the leaked diaries of a disgraced police commissioner.

Repsol, Santander and Telefonica each paid £1.8million in installments starting in the late 1990s to the country's security service which then passed the money to model and CNC-Metallbearbeitung Miss World contestant Barbara Rey, the diaries allege. 

The money changed hands after José María Aznar, Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2006, met with Repsol boss Ramón Blanco Balín and asked him to transfer the funds while assuring him the other firms were also paying up, the diary says.




Juan Carlos, 83, is seeking immunity from the English courts over allegations he caused his ex-lover Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (pictured), a Danish businesswoman, 'great mental pain' by spying on and harassing her

In the High Court case the former king, who abdicated in June 2014 and was succeeded by his son, King Felipe VI, denies any wrongdoing and argues that he is 'entitled to immunity from the jurisdiction of the English courts in his capacity as a senior member of the Spanish royal family'.

It is claimed that, at a meeting in the Connaught Hotel in London on May 5 2012, an 'agent or associate' of the former king was 'threatening' towards Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn and her children.

She alleges that the meeting was timed 'to correspond with the breaking into her apartments in Monaco and in Villars, Switzerland, where a book on the death of Princess Diana was left on a coffee table'.

The book, entitled 'Princess Diana: The Hidden Evidence, How MI6 and the CIA were involved in the death of Princess Diana', was left on the table, with papers in the apartment allegedly being 'disturbed'.

Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn claims that on the evening she discovered the book she received a phone call from 'an unknown person' who said in Spanish: 'There are many tunnels between Monaco and Nice'.

She also alleges that Juan Carlos gave 'an expensive watch' to her driver in 2014 as 'a precursor to further contact' and 'supplied false information to the media' about her. 




The former king (pictured), who abdicated in June 2014 and was succeeded by his son, King Felipe VI, denies any wrongdoing and argues that he is 'entitled to immunity from the jurisdiction of the English courts in his capacity as a senior member of the Spanish royal family'





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Following his abdication, and after Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn 'made clear' that a relationship could not resume, Juan Carlos allegedly 'demanded the return of gifts', was 'threatening' towards her and 'subsequently carried out or arranged a series of further acts of covert and overt surveillance, causing distress and anxiety'.

Her lawyers said in written submissions to the court that this included 'trespass and criminal damage, such as drilling a hole into her bedroom window while she slept at night in her home in Shropshire on June 21, 2017... and gunshots fired at and damaging the lenses of her front gate CCTV on April 14, 2020'.

Mr Justice Nicklin began hearing arguments on the issue of immunity at a hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.

According to court documents, Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn claims to have been in an 'intimate romantic relationship' with the former king between 2004 and 2009.




Mr Justice Nicklin began hearing arguments on the issue of immunity at a hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice (pictured) in London on Monday

After their break-up, the pair remained close friends for a period, with Juan Carlos allegedly giving her 'artwork, jewellery and financial gifts', including payments amounting to around 65 million euros (£55 million) in June 2012, according to her claim.

She says the former king - who married Sofia of Spain in 1962 - sought to rekindle their relationship, but this was declined, with Juan Carlos then allegedly pursuing a 'pattern of conduct amounting to harassment'. 

They said these matters were reported to the police and she was now seeking 'personal injury damages' for the 'great mental pain, alarm, anxiety, distress, loss of wellbeing, humiliation and moral stigma' she allegedly suffered.

They also said she alleges that the former king's motives were that he felt angry and rejected by their relationship not resuming and 'wanted to punish her for refusing to submit to his will'.

James Lewis QC, representing Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, said in written submissions that the former king was not entitled to state immunity, arguing that he had relinquished the status of 'a sovereign or other head of state' when he abdicated.

He said Juan Carlos could also not claim immunity as a member of his son's household, adding: 'The defendant is plainly not, and does not claim to be, a dependent of his son King Felipe VI.'

Mr Caplan said the former king 'appears to be raising technical and unmeritorious objections to service in an ostensible effort to frustrate the progress of these proceedings'.








Juan Carlos pictured with wife Sofia in 2004. After Juan Carlos and Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn's break-up, the pair remained close friends for a period, with Juan Carlos allegedly giving her 'artwork and financial gifts'

Sir Daniel Bethlehem QC, for Juan Carlos, said in written arguments before the court that the former king 'rejects the allegations made against him and any alleged wrongdoing by the Spanish state is denied in the strongest of terms'.

Sir Daniel argued that, under the State Immunity Act 1978, Juan Carlos is immune from the jurisdiction of the English courts and if there are any allegations against him they must be brought in the Spanish Supreme Court.

The barrister added: '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.

'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.'

He said there was an 'inherent public interest in protecting the dignity of the sovereign and close members of the royal family', in light of their constitutional role.

Juan Carlos, who ruled in Spain from 1975 until his abdication, retired from public life in June 2019 and relocated to Abu Dhabi in August 2020.

Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, who has been married twice, is described in court documents as 'a strategic consultant working with high-net-worth individuals and with leading companies around the world'.

She is a resident of Monaco, with homes in London and Shropshire.

The hearing on immunity is due to conclude on Tuesday and it is expected that Mr Justice Nicklin will give his judgment at a later date.