A legal battle of royal proportions has raged in the heart of London, where Corinna Larsen, the former mistress of the 85-year-old King Emeritus Juan Carlos I, is pursuing justice in a lawsuit filed in 2020 for alleged harassment.
Larsen’s claims, which seek a chilling $163 million, have been vehemently contested by the defense of the former Spanish head of state.
What did the lawyer of the king emeritus, Juan Carlos I say about Corinna Larsen’s harassment lawsuit?
This Tuesday, July 18, a crucial hearing was held in London courts to examine the competence of a foreign court to rule on actions committed outside its jurisdiction.
Adam Wolanski, the lawyer representing Juan Carlos I, presented compelling arguments before Judge Collins Rice in courtroom 13 of the High Court.
Wolanski refuted the allegations, stating that the lawsuit is “totally incoherent” and lacks substantial evidence.
He emphasized that there is no real prospect of successfully charging his client and stressed the absence of specifics in the plaintiff’s claims.
In addition, Wolanski revealed a surprising twist in the story: Corinna Larsen’s attempt to contact the Spanish Royal House before filing the lawsuit, seeking an out-of-court settlement.
According to the lawyer, the plaintiff tried, with this contact, to “bribe” and “threaten”, using on several occasions the word blackmail.
During the court proceedings, the relationship between Corinna Larsen and King Emeritus came under scrutiny.
Wolanski addressed the controversy of a substantial monetary gift, known as the “Lucum gift,” worth $72 million that Juan Carlos I gave Larsen in 2012.
The lawyer highlighted that Larsen herself has said that this sum was not “a bribe to keep quiet.”
“The lawsuit filed is totally incoherent, they present it without specifying the facts and it has no real chance of going forward,” the lawyer’s document exposes.
This legal saga took a turn in 2022, when the Court of Appeal of England and Wales granted immunity to the former monarch, recognizing the complexities of trying actions that occurred outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The defense team argued strenuously that the British court lacked authority to rule on the claim, urging its dismissal.
In response to Larsen’s accusations, Juan Carlos I has vehemently denied any involvement or direction of harassment against her.
The court proceedings will last four days, allowing Larsen to present her defense later this July in the British courts.