Spain’s former King Juan Carlos has won a bid to end a £126 million High Court battle with his Danish ex-lover, who accused him of spying and harassing her.
Businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, in her late 50s, claimed the former royal family had caused her “great mental pain.”
Juan Carlos, 85, has denied wrongdoing and disputed the claims against him, arguing they are not “viable.”
In a ruling at the High Court in London today, Judge Rowena Collins Rice said the court “lacks jurisdiction to hear this claim” because it was brought against the suspect outside his country of residence.
She added that Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn “has not sufficiently demonstrated that the ‘harmful event’ she complains about – harassment by the defendant – occurred in England.”
In a statement, Juan Carlos – who resigned in 2014 – said he welcomed the judge’s decision. Meanwhile, Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn said she was “deeply disappointed”.
Former royal Juan Carlos, 85, has denied wrongdoing and disputed the claims against him, arguing they are not ‘viable’
Businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (pictured), in her late 50s, claimed the former royal had caused her ‘great mental pain’ and sued him for £126 million
Judge Collins Rice said: ‘The claimant has an account she wishes to give of her personal and financial history with the defendant, and of the damage he has caused to her peace of mind and personal well-being, and to her business, social and family life.
“I have no opinion on that account as such. The only question for me was whether the plaintiff can force the defendant to tell his side of the story to the Supreme Court. My conclusion, as things stand now, is that she cannot.’
In a statement, Juan Carlos said: ‘While His Majesty Juan Carlos regrets the expenditure of energy and resources involved in the proceedings, he nevertheless welcomes the decision of the High Court of London, which unsurprisingly confirms his innocence.
“In order to allow justice to operate in complete serenity, His Majesty has voluntarily exercised the utmost discretion throughout the trial and has therefore refrained from making any public comment.
“Today’s decision, favorable to His Majesty, restores the conditions necessary for further public appearances.”
Mrs zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, who has homes in England, previously told the judge in a written witness statement that she had earned ‘significant’ amounts of money working as a ‘strategic consultant’.
Juan Carlos, who resigned in 2014, said in a statement that he welcomed the judge’s decision.
Mrs zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn pictured leaving the Royal Courts of Justice in London in July
She added that she wants to hold Juan Carlos accountable for the “damage to his mental health caused by his harassment” and hold him accountable for the “full financial consequences of his actions.”
During a four-day hearing in July, Adam Wolanski QC, on behalf of the former monarch, asked the judge to ‘strike out’ Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn’s claim.
He said: ‘The case of harassment advocated is a diffuse collection of complaints, some trivial, mostly historical.’
The attorney said Juan Carlos “emphatically denies ever harassing the plaintiff.”
Lawyers representing Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn said the offer to end the case was “misconceived” and should be rejected.
“The suggestion made on behalf of the defendant that the statement is somehow offensive because it is in itself intended to harass a vulnerable elder statesman is both baseless and bold,” said lawyer Jonathan Caplan KC , on behalf of Mrs zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.
A number of other judges have supervised previous hearings in the trial.
Juan Carlos (pictured with Queen Sofia) ruled from 1975 until his abdication in 2014
Pictured: Juan Carlos at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022
Madame zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn accused Juan Carlos of spying on and harassing her
Judges have heard that Juan Carlos ruled from 1975 until his abdication in 2014 and the succession of his son King Felipe VI.
They have heard that Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn is Danish, lived in Monaco between 2008 and 2019 and has homes in London and Shropshire.
Previously, another High Court judge – Mr Justice Nicklin – had ruled that claims could be considered at trial in England.
However, judges at the Court of Appeal in London later concluded that ‘the alleged conduct before the abdication’ was ‘immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of this country’, and struck down those parts of the claim.