Walter Finch
THE Spanish royal family finds itself washing its dirty laundry in public as a British court will rule on a dispute between former King Carlos I and his ex mistress Corinna Larsen.
The former king is being sued in a British court by Corinna Larsen, 57, who is known by her married aristocratic name, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, over allegations of harassment.
British judge Matthew Nicklin, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice, initially ruled that Carlos I did not enjoy immunity as he is no longer King of Spain – and indeed that title now falls to his son, Felipe.
“There is only one King and one head of state in Spain and, since June 19, 2014, that is his son, King Felipe VI,” he ruled.
But an appeal hearing was granted for Tuesday 8 November, with the former king’s lawyers arguing the Spanish royal household is not merely a physical place but a spiritual concept, and as a member of it, the lawsuit against Carlos I would affect the wellbeing of the present Head of State.
The old king is claiming immunity against charges by Larsen that he harassed her after she ended their relationship and used his position to harm her business interests.
The ruling on whether the lawsuit can go ahead should be made imminently.
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