London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Nov 04, 2026

Duchess of York linked to further payment in court case

Duchess of York linked to further payment in court case

The latest steps in a Turkish millionaire's fraud claim have linked a further payment to the Duchess of York.

Court documents show lawyers of Nebahat Isbilen have updated who they claim received her assets, in allegations against business adviser Selman Turk.

This suggests the Duchess of York could have received a further £20,000, in addition to £225,000 and more than £1m paid to her ex-husband Prince Andrew.

Mr Turk has denied the allegations of misusing Mrs Isbilen's money.

There are no suggestions of wrongdoing against the Duke or Duchess of York or their family.

'Brand ambassador'


This complex case before the High Court in London revolves around claims that 77-year-old Mrs Isbilen has been the victim of "systematic fraud".

She has accused Mr Turk of having "dishonestly misappropriated" about £38m of her assets.

Peters and Peters, the law firm representing Mrs Isbilen, have updated details of where they claim some of her money was directed by Mr Turk, clarifying a confusion over similarly-named businesses.

Court papers say it now "appears likely" that a payment, previously identified as £20,000, was to a business "connected with Sarah, Duchess of York".

A source close to the duchess said the £20,000 was for her advisory role with Alphabet Capital, the firm which had made the payment.

Alphabet Capital is claimed in court papers as being used by Mr Turk to make payments - but a source close to the duchess said she was unaware of any link with Mr Turk.

Court papers also show Alphabet Capital as the route for the duchess receiving £225,000.

Prince Andrew has returned £750,000


It is understood the Duchess of York is not planning to repay the £225,000, because this was to cover her work as a brand ambassador for a US solar energy company.

The duchess is understood to have wanted to be paid in a single payment by the US firm, rather than in instalments - and Mr Turk stepped in to forward the full amount.

A spokesman for the Duchess of York said: "The duchess was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against Mr Turk. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him."

£750,000 paid back


Court documents also show claims of payments to her daughter Princess Eugenie, with about £15,000 referenced as a "birthday gift", and another payment of £10,000.

Prince Andrew is claimed to have received £350,000 through Alphabet Capital.

And he has repaid a separate payment of £750,000 given to him directly by Mrs Isbilen on 15 November 2019.

Princess Beatrice was named in the financial court case


Mrs Isbilen says she was misled into believing the £750,000 was for help with a passport. She also claims Mr Turk had explained the payment to her bank as a "wedding gift" for Princess Beatrice.

But Mr Turk says the money for Prince Andrew was paid by Mrs Isbilen "on her own initiative" and not under his direction.

Mrs Isbilen's lawyer Jonathan Tickner said Prince Andrew was contacted in March 2021 requesting an account of his dealings with Mr Turk.

"Prince Andrew declined to provide any such account but ...repaid Mrs Isbilen the sum of £750,000," said Mr Tickner.

Prince Andrew's representatives have declined to comment on the ongoing court case.

The week before the £750,000 was paid, Mr Turk's bank business, Heyman AI, had received an award at the Pitch at the Palace business event, headed by Prince Andrew, with Mr Turk and the prince appearing on stage at the awards.

The court papers report Mrs Isbilen's claim that Mr Turk also attended a charity event that week hosted by Prince Andrew at St James's Palace, at which Mr Turk "sought to promote his UK banking business".

But this prize-winning business also seems to have been funded by Mrs Isbilen, who says her assets were being used "without my knowledge or consent".

She claims millions were taken from her accounts and transferred via other companies, including an offshore firm linked to Mr Turk, to pay for Heyman AI.

But Mr Turk says Mrs Isbilen voluntarily offered to support his Heyman AI business, offering him a loan of £4m at 0% interest, although he says he convinced her to accept some interest.

The business went into liquidation and court papers note that "all of the money appears to have been spent".

Moving assets


Mrs Isbilen is from a wealthy Turkish business family, but when her politician husband was jailed she wanted help moving her assets out of Turkey.

The claim before the High Court is that Mr Turk misused his role as business adviser, with her lawyers saying she had a limited grasp of English and had entrusted "almost total control" of her finances to Mr Turk.

But Mr Turk rejects any claim of deceit, saying that "at every step" he acted in accordance with Mrs Isbilen's instructions.

He says she gave her approval to all the financial transactions and investments he carried out, which had been signed by her "confirming her instructions and authorisation".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves Construction of New North Sea Offshore Wind Hub
Northern Ireland Executive Finalizes Public Sector Pay Agreements Following Months of Inter-Agency Negotiations
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan Secures Cross-Party Support for Regional Clean Energy Infrastructure Bill
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Investigation Into Dominant Artificial Intelligence Cloud Partnerships
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes High-Level Diplomatic Mission to Washington and Ottawa
Scottish Government Announces Emergency Housing Investment Package to Address Escalating Urban Homelessness
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Finalizes Corporate Tax Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming Business Investment Summit
National Health Service England Unveils Emergency Winter Resilience Plan to Combat Projected A&E Overcrowding
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Votes to Hold Base Interest Rate Steady at Four Point Seven5 Per Cent
UK Gross Domestic Product Expands by Zero Point Four Per Cent in Third Quarter Driven by Resilient Services Growth
Northern Ireland Executive Agrees on Multi-Year Public Sector Pay Restructuring Framework at Stormont
Department for Transport Confirms Acceleration of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout Along Strategic Motorways
Welsh Government Announces Emergency Funding Package to Support Agricultural Sector Facing Severe Weather Impacts
High Court Rules in Favor of Environmental Coalition Over Government Carbon Reduction Plan Deficiencies
Office for National Statistics Reports Stable Retail Sales Growth Supported by Strong Digital Commerce Volumes
Scottish First Minister John Swinney Secures Cross-Party Support for Renewable Energy Export Expansion
National Health Service Digital Reports Major Breakthrough in Reducing Elective Waiting Lists Across England
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Outlines Infrastructure Spending Reforms to Boost Regional Economic Growth Across Northern England
Bank of England Holds Baseline Interest Rate at Five Percent Amid Persistent Core Inflation Pressures
House of Lords Advances Representation of the People Bill to Modernize Electoral Law Ahead of General Election
Financial Markets and Private Equity Assess Tax and Corporate Realignment Following Recent Chancellor Budget Adjustments
Justice Committee Warns Legal Aid Is a Service in Managed Decline Due to Inadequate Government Funding Responses
Royal Navy Intercepts Russian Intelligence Vessel and Warships Across Intensive North Sea Operations
Business and Trade Committee Slams Government Policy on China as Fragmented and Lacking Strategic Direction
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood Softens Immigration Plans Following Intensive Cabinet Backlash Over Settlement Timelines
Automotive Industry Data Reveals Continued Acceleration in Battery Electric Vehicle Registrations Across British Dealerships
High Court of England and Wales Rules on Landmark Legal Challenge Regarding Local Government Housing Mandates
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves Expanded Offshore Wind Infrastructure Along Scottish Coastline
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Broad Investigation Into Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure and Cloud Partnerships
United Kingdom and European Union Launch High-Level Preparations for Bilateral Defense and Security Summit in Brussels
National Health Service England Unveils Emergency Workforce Reforms to Alleviate Winter Accident and Emergency Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Finalizes Autumn Budget Adjustments to Meet Fiscal Rules and Fund Public Services
Bank of England Prepares for Interest Rate Decision Amid Rising Bond Yields and Inflationary Pressures
House of Lords Begins Detailed Legislative Scrutiny of Representation of the People Bill and Cyber Security Laws
Metropolitan Police Detain More Than Three Hundred Individuals Following Large-Scale Demonstration Outside London Embassy
Home Office Prepares Stricter Residency Rules Requiring Vulnerable Migrants to Wait Decade for Settlement Rights
Professional Mental Health Bodies Demand Statutory Regulation for Counsellors and Psychotherapists
National Grid Confirms Construction of Britain's Largest Electrical Substation to Power Teesside Data Centre
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Travels to Samoa for Commonwealth Summit Amid Debates on Economic Cooperation and Reparations
Home Office Implements Enhanced Digital Border Controls and Visa Processing Systems at Major Airports
Office for National Statistics Reports Stable Employment Participation Rates Across Regional Labor Markets
Department for Business and Trade Announces Strategic Partnership to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
Scottish Government Unveils Regional Economic Development Strategy to Boost Advanced Manufacturing in Glasgow and Dundee
Treasury Officials Review Taxation Frameworks and Capital Gains Rules Ahead of Autumn Budget Disclosures
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Winter Capacity Pressures Across Acute Care Facilities
Bank of England Prepares for Key Interest Rate Decision Amid Sticky Inflation and Fiscal Policy Pressures
Home Office Expands Border Security Operations and Intelligence Sharing With European Partners
Office for National Statistics Reports Modest Retail Sales Growth Ahead of Crucial Christmas Trading Season
Welsh Government Unveils Strategic Plan to Boost Regional Technology Innovation and Digital Skills Training
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Implements New Agricultural Subsidies Framework for English Farmers
×