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| Janan Harb told the court she married King Fahd in 1968, when she was 19. |
A woman who claims to be the secret wife of the late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has won a payout worth more than £20m to honour a promise that she would be looked after for the rest of her life.
Palestinian-born Janan Harb, 68, claimed she had lived a cosseted life in the embrace of one of the world’s richest and most secretive families for more than 20 years and had married Fahd in 1968.
The Saudi royal family has fought her claims through the high court for more than a decade, insisting that no official marriage took place and that she was owed nothing.
On Monday, however, a judge ruled in Harb’s favour, saying she was entitled to more than £15m plus the value of two expensive west London properties.
Mr Justice Peter Smith also ordered Fahd’s son, Prince Abdul Aziz, to pay legal costs estimated at more than £1m.
The prince, who did not attend the court hearings to counter Harb’s claims, must pay damages of £12m with interest of £3.25m for leaving her without her money for years.
Smith also ordered the prince to transfer two luxury flats in Chelsea worth around £5m to her name, making a total award of £20.25m. » | Rajeev Syal | Tuesday, November 3, 2015
