Alex Trelinski
THE BARRISTER acting for Emeritus King Juan Carlos has asked a London High Court judge to throw out a €126 million damages claim by his former lover Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.
Her long-standing legal battle- which began in 2020- has seen her sue Juan Carlos for personal injury that caused her mental anguish by spying on her and harassing her after their relationship ended in 2009.
The former monarch has denied any wrongdoing and has challenged the claims made against him.
She claims that Juan Carlos tried to resume their relationship and, when she rejected him, the former sovereign undertook a ‘pattern of behaviour equivalent to harassment’.
For Juan Carlos, Adam Wolanski KC said Ms zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn wanted ‘damages in excess of £126 million’.
He told the judge that her case had ‘no realistic’ prospect of success and that evidence was ‘not viable’ to proceed with the hearing.
“Many of the matters the claimant relies on are subject to state immunity,” Mr Wolanski told the judge.
“The pleaded case of harassment is a diffuse collection of complaints, some trivial, mostly historic.” he added.
Different legal teams hired by Juan Carlos have been trying for two years to prevent the merits of the matter from being judged.
They argued that as head of state and member of the Royal House he could not be tried in England, which three judges of the London Court of Appeal ended up granting last December, but only until the moment of his abdication in June 2014.
Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn’s legal team led by Jonathan Kaplan KC said the application to throw out her claim should be refused.
“The defendant continues to make every effort to prevent the court from determining this claim,” said Caplan.
“The suggestion made on behalf of the defendant that the claim is somehow abusive in that it is by itself designed to harass a vulnerable elderly statesman is both unfounded and bold,” he stated.
The latest hearings could last up to four days.
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