Saudi Princess Accused of Threatening Decorator Claims Diplomatic Immunity and Flees Paris

The Saudi princess who allegedly ordered one of her bodyguards to kill a Parisian painter and decorator with the words, ‘You have to kill this dog, he doesn’t deserve to live,’ has been named in French media as Princess Hassa, 42, the only daughter of King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

The princess has now reportedly fled Paris, after pleading diplomatic immunity against prosecution, but her bodyguard, who is accused of ordering the unfortunate decorator to kiss his boss’s feet, was arrested and held for two nights before appearing in court Saturday.

According to Le Point magazine, the bodyguard argued in court that he had performed only the “minimum necessary actions to immobilize the craftsman” after “hearing cries” from Hassa.

Le Point claims Hassa was briefly arrested but, upon claiming diplomatic immunity, was promptly released, and swiftly left Paris.

The designer is said to have enraged the princess by taking photographs of the room at the apartment on the Avenue Foch, an expensive road that runs off the Arc de Triomphe, where he was carrying out decorating work.

He said taking pictures was standard practice, and that the snaps were shot simply so he would know where to put back any furniture he had moved, but the princess accused him of scheming to sell the photographs to the press, and told an armed bodyguard: “You have to kill this dog, he doesn’t deserve to live.”

Le Point reports that, in the course of what became a four-hour ordeal, the bodyguard “struck him a blow to the head before tying his hands,” after which the decorator was ordered to kneel and kiss the feet of the princess.

Elie Hatem, the bodyguard’s barrister, disputed the version of events presented by the decorator in court, saying: “There were more than 20 people in the apartments. How can the facts as outlined by the complainant have been overlooked?”

The man displayed bruises from the alleged attack consistent with his version of events when he reported it to police, according to the Le Point article.

A British businessman with extensive knowledge of Saudi and Gulf life told the Daily Beast at the time of the alleged incident, “So this poor decorator had to kiss a princess’s feet? He got off lightly.”