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Sunday, 11 October 2026dailybeirut.com
Miscellaneous
Princess Ferial Al-Hussein testified that her unique engagement ring, stolen during the pandemic, appeared in a Canterbury auction catalog.
Princess Ferial Al-Hussein, aged 81, appeared before a British court after discovering that her stolen jewelry collection, including a one-of-a-kind engagement ring, was being sold at an auction in Canterbury. The princess stated she left the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and her valuable jewelry was subsequently taken from her home in the Belgravia district.
Maria Vergelina Taborda Hinao, 71, the princess’s housekeeper, faces trial at Southwark Crown Court on charges of abusing her position to commit thefts. Known also as Lina, Taborda Hinao worked for the princess for 11 years and is accused of stealing the jewelry while caring for the Belgravia residence in 2020.
Prosecutors allege that Julian Ramirez, the son of Taborda Hinao’s sister, acted as a "main channel" for selling the stolen property. Between June 23, 2019, and November 28, 2020, Ramirez reportedly transferred £17,835 to Taborda Hinao.
Princess Frial testified to the jury on Wednesday that she realized her belongings had been stolen when an image of her engagement ring appeared on the cover of an auction house catalog. She said Pierre Janinet, a partner at JAR, the luxury jewelry house that designed the ring, contacted her on November 21, 2020.
"He asked me: Are you selling your jewelry? I told him: No, what are you talking about?" the princess recalled. Janinet informed her that her custom-designed engagement ring was featured on the catalog cover. The ring, created exclusively for her by JAR, is described as "the only one of its kind in the world."
Upon learning of the sale, Princess Frial obtained copies of catalogs from "Canterbury Auction Galleries" and began proving her ownership. She acquired catalogs from three previous auctions held in March, May, and August 2020, discovering that more of her possessions had been sold. She stated that David Parker, the executive director of the auction house, was "dismissive" when she first called to report the theft. "I told them who I was, and I told them I am the owner of those pieces. He was disrespectful and dismissive," she added.
The jury heard that the princess used documents obtained in Jordan, including sales invoices, catalog images, a photo of herself wearing the stolen earrings, and a picture of a bracelet in her home, to establish her true ownership.
Describing her jewelry collection as her "passion" and noting she has been a collector for a long time, Princess Frial said, "I understand fine arts, I love them, and I know I will invest well." She explained that every room she inhabited was filled with jewelry, stored openly in cabinets or on tables, accessible to anyone who intended to take it.
The princess testified that she left her UK home in mid-March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, following a phone call from her son giving her three hours to pack and head to the airport. "It was the last plane leaving before the airport closed in Jordan. There was no chance I would miss the flight. I didn't want to stay here alone; I had no family," she said.
Taborda Hinao was the only remaining employee at the residence. The court heard that security guards were permitted only outside the property when on duty. Princess Frial agreed to let Taborda Hinao’s sister, Ramirez’s mother, move into the property during the early stages of the pandemic and later agreed to pay her salary. "I found it strange, but I accepted it," she said, adding that she was later informed in 2020 that the sister had fallen ill and left. She noted she did not know Ramirez's name until "the police told me who delivered my jewelry to the auction house."
During a search of Taborda Hinao’s home in Fulham, police recovered the princess’s wedding ring, a pair of earrings, and a metal pendant set with gems. It is believed that Ramirez traveled to Colombia in October 2023 while released on bail pending trial. Taborda Hinao denies the charge of theft by an employee, and the trial continues.
