Princess Firyal tells court Belgravia cleaner allegedly stole £180,000 jewellery
A Jordanian princess has told Southwark Crown Court that her cleaner allegedly stole £180,000 worth of jewellery from her Belgravia home in 2020. Princess Firyal, 80, gave evidence against Maria Taborda Henao, 71, a Colombian cleaner who she said was always "hovering around" while she packed suitcases before travelling to Jordan. The princess suggested this behaviour indicated the cleaner was monitoring what was leaving the house.
The allegedly stolen items included a Cartier brooch, diamond and ruby earrings, solitaire diamonds and her engagement ring from the £6million property. Princess Firyal acknowledged she lives in five cities and initially thought she had left items in her other homes before realising they were missing. Taborda Henao, given only light duties due to arthritis, denies the theft. Her nephew, Julian Ramirez, 43, is accused of selling the jewellery and transferring approximately £18,000 in proceeds; he skipped bail and is believed to be in Colombia.
- Jordanian princess claims cleaner stole £180,000 jewellery from Belgravia home
- Princess said cleaner was "hovering around" while she packed suitcases
- Cleaner denies theft; her nephew allegedly sold the items
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A Jordanian princess reported that high-value jewellery, worth approximately £180,000, went missing from her Belgravia home in 2020. Princess Firyal, 80, said the collection included a Cartier brooch, diamond and ruby earrings, solitaire diamonds and her engagement ring. The princess, who lives in five cities, did not immediately realise the items had been taken, initially thinking she had left them at one of her other homes.
The princess's former cleaner, Maria Taborda Henao, a 71-year-old Colombian woman, is accused of stealing the jewellery. Her nephew, Julian Ramirez, 43, is accused of selling the stolen items and receiving approximately £18,000 in proceeds; he skipped bail and is believed to be in Colombia. Henao denies the theft allegation.
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The case for
The case rests substantially on circumstantial evidence and the princess's subjective observations of ordinary household presence. The princess maintains multiple residences across five cities and initially believed the items were left elsewhere, suggesting imprecise record-keeping of her possessions. Without direct evidence linking the cleaner to the theft—such as witness testimony, recovery of goods, or surveillance footage—suspicion and inference cannot establish guilt, particularly when the accused's access and duties were limited by arthritis.
The case against
The cleaner's suspicious proximity during packing, combined with the subsequent disappearance of multiple valuable items within her reach, forms coherent circumstantial evidence of theft. The involvement of her nephew in allegedly selling the jewellery and transferring proceeds to her strengthens the inference of coordinated acquisition, demonstrating both motive and a traceable chain of possession. The cleaner's unique access to the home during a vulnerable moment creates a compelling narrative of breach of trust.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Colombian cleaner who ‘stole £180k of jewellery’ from Jordanian princess’s Belgravia bedroom was ‘always hovering around’, court hears”.