London: Tuesday, attorneys for former Spanish king Juan Carlos I requested that a court in London dismiss a claim for more than £126 million in damages made by a former lover.
Juan Carlos, 85, who abdicated in 2014, has been sued by Danish businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, who is in her late 50s and resides in England. Juan Carlos is seeking damages for personal injury.
She claims that by spying on her and harassing her, he caused her "great mental pain."
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According to earlier court submissions, Juan Carlos, who is married, had a "intimate romantic relationship" with the divorcee from 2004 to 2009 and showered her with gifts.
The former monarch's attorney, Adam Wolanski, stated in court that zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn desired "damages in excess of £126 million."
He asserted that Juan Carlos "emphatically denies ever having harassed the claimant" and that there was "no realistic" chance that the case would succeed because the evidence "simply does not disclose a viable case."
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However, the "strike out" application was deemed "misconceived" and should be rejected by counsel for his ex-lover.
According to a written case summary submitted to the judge by attorney Jonathan Caplan for zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, "the defendant (Juan Carlos) continues to make every effort to prevent the court from ruling on this claim."
The assertion made on behalf of the defendant that the claim is somehow abusive because it stands alone as an attempt to harass an elderly statesman who is already vulnerable is both unfounded and bold.
In a previous statement, Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn claimed that Juan Carlos started stalking her after their relationship ended and used threats, break-ins at her homes, and surveillance to do so.
She claimed that the front gate's security cameras were damaged by gunshots, and she accused the former king of being enraged by her refusals.
The monarch's broken hip while on vacation with Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn in Botswana in 2012, forcing him to be flown home, sparked public outrage during a time of record unemployment in Spain, and the couple's relationship came to light.
Juan Carlos abdicated two years later at the age of 76 due to the scandals and health issues in favor of his son Felipe VI, who has since publicly distanced himself from his father.
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In 2020, Juan Carlos declared himself to be in exile and fled to the United Arab Emirates.
Three appeal judges in London decided in December that his former lover could not file a claim against him for harassment in English courts for the time that she was a monarch.
This left open the possibility of her going after him for his alleged actions later.
