A ‘Saudi princess’ has won the right to keep a £14million property empire – despite claims she is really a prostitute who invented her royal identity.

Sara Al Amoudi, who claims she is the 33-year-old daughter of a Saudi billionaire, is being pursued by Ian Paton and Amanda Clutterbuck, who say she duped them into signing over six flats in London’s West End and should be forced to hand them back.

But the Court of Appeal has rejected the couple’s plea, saying the continuing mystery about her identity – including claims she is an African illegal immigrant – is irrelevant to their case.

'Imposter': ‘Saudi princess’ Sara Al Amoudi (pictured left) has won the right to keep a £14million property empire – despite claims she is really a prostitute who invented her royal identity

A judge said there was no evidence Miss Al Amoudi used her ‘royal’ identity to persuade Mr Paton – who she says was her secret lover – and Miss Clutterbuck to sign over the flats, and refused to give them leave to appeal against a ruling made last year that said she could keep the properties.

Miss Al Amoudi, allegedly an illegal immigrant from Ethiopia, is now free to sell or rent the multimillion-pound flats.

The Home Office has refused to comment on her case, but there has been no sign of her being deported, despite the question marks over her origins.

Miss Al Amoudi – who in court denied being a prostitute or a bogus princess – said Mr Paton used the flats to repay millions she had lent him out of suitcases stuffed with cash she was sent from Saudi Arabia.

Outside court: Miss Al Amoudi, who claims to be a strict Muslim, is pictured wearing her veil

Regarding her identity, she had previously said she had fled a threatened stoning to death in her homeland after finding love in Britain in 2001.

She also said she had once been a child-bride of the Saudi king, and in court hearings asked to be allowed to shield her face with a veil, saying she was a strict Muslim.

But this week’s hearing was told her story was actually a pack of lies.

It was claimed her Saudi birth certificate was a fake, and that she is really a 45-year-old Ethiopian called Lina Abdullahi Idris.

The Saudi billionaire she claims is her father has already publicly denied being any relation.

The court was told that before beginning her princess ‘act’, Miss Al Amoudi was a cocaine-using prostitute who was once caught in the bedroom of a wealthy client by his enraged wife.

After seeing a photograph of her wearing a revealing dress in the Daily Mail, Fatima Raidi gave evidence that the ‘Muslim princess’ was really a vice girl.

Miss Clutterbuck and Mr Paton’s barrister, Stephen Auld QC, told the court: ‘Almost the entirety of the defendant’s story was not true.

‘Miss Raidi says she found the defendant in a hotel room with her husband in circumstances not consistent with her being a devout Muslim and member of the Saudi royal family.’

And the court heard that former hire car driver Kevin Beard had given a statement in which he told of driving Miss Al Amoudi and two friends around when they were escorts for up to five years.

Mr Auld said: ‘He told of drunkenness, cocaine, and what the three women appeared to be involved in ... The evidence is that the “princess” was quite literally an imposter.’

However Miss Al Amoudi’s lawyers largely ignored the claims, arguing they were irrelevant to the case.

Rejecting the appeal application, Lord Justice Andrew Longmore noted the original judge’s finding that ‘the exact identity of Miss Al Amoudi remains unknown’, but agreed with the defence.

Miss Clutterbuck and Mr Paton now face court costs approaching £1.5million.

Sara Al Amoudi is being pursued by Ian Paton (pictured left) and Amanda Clutterbuck (right), who say she duped them into signing over six flats in London’s West End and should be forced to hand them back

A judge said there was no evidence Miss Al Amoudi used her ‘royal’ identity to persuade the couple to sign over the flats. Miss Al Amoudi's property portfolio includes one in Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge (pictured)