Former housekeeper denies stealing Jordanian princess’s jewellery, court hears
Maria Virgelina Taborda Henao, a former housekeeper to Jordanian Princess Firyal Irshaid, is accused of stealing jewellery and helping sell it through her nephew, a court has heard. The alleged thefts came to light after a Paris jeweller alerted the Princess that a bespoke piece had been put up for auction; the Princess then identified more items listed without her knowledge.
Prosecutors say jewellery, including the Princess’s wedding ring from 1964, was found at Taborda Henao’s Fulham home, along with evidence of regular payments from her nephew, Julian Ramirez. The Princess had thought the ring was lost, and says much of her real jewellery was missing when she returned to her London home. Taborda Henao, 71, denies one count of theft at Southwark Crown Court; Ramirez has left the UK for Colombia.
- A former housekeeper denies stealing Princess Firyal’s jewellery.
- Her wedding ring, thought lost, was found at the defendant’s home.
- Prosecutors allege her nephew helped sell the items at auction.
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Jordanian Princess Firyal Irshaid employed Maria Virgelina Taborda Henao as her housekeeper at her London home. Valuable jewellery from the Princess's collection disappeared over time, including her wedding ring from 1964 which she believed was lost.
The missing jewellery came to light when a Paris jeweller alerted the Princess that one of her bespoke pieces was being offered at auction. The Princess then discovered that numerous items from her collection had been listed for sale without her knowledge or permission.
Taborda Henao is accused of stealing the jewellery and working with her nephew, Julian Ramirez, to sell the items. Ramirez has since left the United Kingdom for Colombia.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Colombian housekeeper secretly stole Jordanian princess’s ‘long lost’ wedding ring and passed other jewellery for secret sale at auction, court told”.