Royal Connection, Royal Disappointment: A £50,000 Investment Gone Sour
A retired doctor, Dr. Robin Russell-Jones, a man of considerable means and a distinguished career in dermatology, found himself entangled in a financial scheme that promised astronomical returns, all seemingly endorsed by a member of European royalty. His encounter with Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia at the prestigious Royal Society of Arts in London initially filled him with confidence. Given the Princess’s lineage – a cousin to King Charles and a descendant of Queen Victoria through both her maternal and paternal lines – Dr. Russell-Jones felt a strong sense of trust.
This trust was unfortunately misplaced. Princess Katarina’s business associate, Sharon Rea, a 57-year-old woman, presented Dr. Russell-Jones with an investment opportunity. She assured him that a £50,000 stake in a particular venture, bolstered by the involvement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and intergovernmental bodies, would transform into a staggering £4 million.
However, the reality proved to be a stark contrast to the promised riches. Instead of a lucrative return, Dr. Russell-Jones lost his entire investment. Investigations revealed that Ms. Rea’s purported business empire was, in fact, a facade. The address listed as her company’s headquarters turned out to be a humble council house in Swansea, a town in south-west Wales.
Dr. Russell-Jones pursued a civil claim against Ms. Rea, a legal battle he ultimately won last year. Yet, the victory has been hollow. Ms. Rea, who reportedly subsists on benefits, has offered to repay the substantial sum at a rate of just £100 per month, a repayment plan that would take decades to complete.
A Royal Introduction and a Fading Dream
The fateful meeting occurred in April 2024. Dr. Russell-Jones, a retired dermatologist and an active climate campaigner, crossed paths with Princess Katarina and Ms. Rea at the Royal Society of Arts. Both women expressed an interest in joining the esteemed institution.
Princess Katarina’s royal pedigree is well-established. She is a descendant of the former Yugoslav royal family. Her grandfather, King Alexander I, met a tragic end, assassinated in 1934. His successor, her uncle Peter II, sought refuge in Britain during the Nazi occupation in 1941. However, his reign was cut short following the communist takeover in 1945, with Josip Tito assuming power. Adding to her distinguished lineage, Princess Katarina’s grandmother was Prince Philip’s elder sister, and she spent her formative years in London.
Princess Katarina’s personal life has also seen its share of notable events. In 1987, she married barrister Sir Desmond de Silva, with whom she shares a daughter, Victoria. Their divorce in 2010 was reportedly acrimonious, with Mr. de Silva allegedly deeming her “insufficiently intelligent.” Following her divorce, Princess Katarina courted controversy by offering “royal” etiquette and decorum classes, reportedly to the disapproval of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Her professional association with Ms. Rea appears to have begun at least five years prior to Dr. Russell-Jones’s investment. The Princess reportedly assisted Ms. Rea in launching a company named New Way Networking International. The duo were seen together at events, promoting their venture as being in service to “emerging and existing businesses around the world.”
Ms. Rea made grand claims about her business activities, asserting the construction of four new hospitals in Pakistan and the establishment of international outposts in America and Kenya. Princess Katarina, in turn, positioned the company as one that was “boosting human rights,” while Ms. Rea added that the initiative would be “carbon-positive.”
However, New Way Networking International seems to have vanished without a trace. There is no discernible website, and no evidence of any hospitals being constructed. Despite this, Princess Katarina remains officially listed as a director of the company online.
The “Tsunami of Sound” and a Deceptive Proposal
During their initial meeting, Dr. Russell-Jones claims that the Princess and Ms. Rea presented themselves as organisers of a series of international concerts aimed at raising funds for various charitable causes.
Dr. Russell-Jones recounted to the Daily Mail: “When I met Princess Katarina, I told her I wanted to stage concerts to raise awareness of global warming and she told me that she was planning to do just that.” He further elaborated that the Princess spoke of a concert series named “Tsunami of Sound,” indicating that she and Sharon Rea had been in discussions with Warner Bros. regarding the recording of these events. Ms. Rea’s contact details were reportedly scribbled on the back of the Princess’s business card.
The financial proposition materialised in May 2024. Ms. Rea presented Dr. Russell-Jones with a “time-sensitive business proposal.” This scheme required an investment of £50,000 from Dr. Russell-Jones, with the promise of a 1,000 per cent profit within a year, attributed to an “intergovernmental scheme.” This return was purportedly to be magnified eightfold through “a separate vehicle backed by the IMF.”
Despite reservations from his bank, who flagged the transaction as a potential scam, Dr. Russell-Jones, residing in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, promptly transferred the funds. His suspicions were aroused when Ms. Rea’s daughter’s fiancé approached him for a £3,000 loan for brain surgery, prompting him to question the legitimacy of the business proposal. He then attempted to gauge Ms. Rea’s trustworthiness by texting Princess Katarina, but received no reply.
Princess Katarina attended the daughter’s wedding in Swansea in August of that year. Dr. Russell-Jones declined an invitation, having by then concluded he had been defrauded. This led him to initiate legal proceedings against Ms. Rea. When she failed to contest the claim, Dr. Russell-Jones was awarded £55,742, inclusive of costs and interest, the previous year. The case remains active as he is seeking more than the £100 per month repayment offered by Ms. Rea.
Dr. Russell-Jones expressed his profound disappointment: “Once I’d paid the money and asked the princess if Sharon was for real, she didn’t reply. Now I’m £50,000 out of pocket, with no sign of getting it back. And there has never been a single Tsunami of Sound concert.”
When approached at her home, Ms. Rea stated that she was in the process of repaying Dr. Russell-Jones, but vehemently denied any fraudulent activity.
Princess Katarina, who owns a property in Earl’s Court, west London, has not yet responded to requests for comment from the Daily Mail. However, a close associate of the Princess commented, “I met Sharon, and fear now she was a scammer and that the princess was taken in.”
