A British woman who claims she was secretly married to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has won a key victory in a multi-million pound legal battle as the High Court rejected a “state immunity” claim by the late monarch’s son.
Janan Harb, 65, told the High Court in London that she wed King Fahd when he was a prince and an interior minister in 1968, but that she was forced to leave the country several years later, before he ascended to the throne.
She claims she is owed a lump sum of £12 million which was promised to her 11 years ago, plus the ownership of two high-value apartments in central London.
Lawyers for Prince Abdul Aziz, the king’s son, argued he had “state immunity” and the court had no jurisdiction to try Mrs Harb’s claim.
Mrs Justice Rose said the prince, who did not attend court, had made no response “as regards the accuracy or otherwise” of Mrs Harb’s allegations and his submissions had been “limited to contesting the jurisdiction of the court”.
The judge said there was no evidence of a similar claim ever being brought in the past.
A letter from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supported the prince’s claim for state immunity, the court heard.
But the judge ruled the king and the prince would have been able to claim “sovereign immunity” if Mrs Harb’s claim had been brought when the monarch was alive.
A spokesman for law firm Neumans, which represented Mrs Harb, said later: “Mrs Harb is passionate about sharing her personal account of what it is truly like to be married to a Saudi king and believes the exposure will be of public interest.
“Her story has received international interest from film producers and she is currently in detailed discussions to progress the adaptation of her book into a film. There are also negotiations under way with regard to the publishing of her book in advance of this.”
Mrs Harb’s solicitor, Mandeep Kaur Virdee, added: “We are delighted with the outcome of this judgment. The law surrounding this area has already established, confirming that personal immunity ceases when a head of state is no longer in office for any reason.
“Janan Harb is passionate about sharing her personal account of what it is truly like to be married to a Saudi King and believes the exposure will be of public interest. Her story has received international interest from film producers and she is currently in detailed discussions to progress the adaptation of her book into a film. There are also negotiations under way with regard to the publishing of her book in advance of this.” Virdee said.