Former model wins right to divorce payout from billionaire Saudi sheikh

A former model who was married to a wealthy Saudi sheikh won the right to seek a payout from him in London, after a court rejected his claim to have diplomatic immunity.

Christina Estrada, 53, who has appeared in the Pirelli calendar and was once linked to Britain's Prince Andrew, will be able to seek a share of Sheikh Walid Juffali's estimated $5.7bn fortune.

Juffali had argued that his status since 2014 as permanent representative for Saint Lucia to the International Maritime Organisation meant he was immune from a claim.

But at the High Court on Monday, judge Anthony Hayden ruled that argument was "spurious".

"I am satisfied that what has transpired here is that [Juffali] has sought and obtained a diplomatic appointment with the sole intention of defeating [Estrada's] claims consequent on the breakdown of their marriage," the judge added.

Juffali is expected to appeal against the decision.

The sheikh divorced Estrada in Saudi Arabia and says he has bought her a property in Beverly Hills in the US and pays her $100,000 a month.

But Estrada alleges she was divorced without her knowledge and cannot bring a financial claim against him in Saudi Arabia. She also claims her husband is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom.