Her husband is the former chairman of the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan, and was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2016 for defrauding the bank out £2.2bn.

Mrs Hajiyeva argued that her husband's conviction, which she says was "the central feature" of the NCA's application for the UWO, was the result of a "grossly unfair trial" and should be discharged.

Passing judgment in London on Wednesday, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Lord Justice Simon, dismissed Mrs Hajiyeva's appeal.

In a statement after the ruling, Sarah Pritchard, director of the NCA's National Economic Crime Centre, said: "This is a significant result which is important in establishing unexplained wealth orders as a powerful tool helping us to investigate illicit finance generated in, or flowing through, the UK.

"As a new piece of legislation we anticipated that there would be legal challenge - we are pleased that the court has upheld the case today. It will set a helpful precedent for future UWO cases."

Mrs Hajiyeva was the first person to be made subject to a UWO, brought into force in January 2018 under so-called McMafia laws - named after the BBC organised crime drama and the book which inspired it.

A UWO allows the NCA to seize someone's assets if they believe the owner is a politically exposed person (PEP) - someone from outside the European Economic Area in a position of power that makes them liable to bribery or corruption - and they are unable to explain the source of their wealth.

The Court of Appeal ruled that, if the bank was a state-owned enterprise, "Mr Hajiyev fell within the definition of a politically exposed person because he was its chairman", and that Mrs Hajiyeva "was also a politically exposed person because she was a family member of Mr Hajiyev".

As well as spending more than £16 million in Harrods over a ten-year period, Mrs Hajiyeva also bought the Mill Ride golf and country club in Ascot for £10.5 million.