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Agha Khan files for divorce

October 09, 2004 22:48 IST

After six years of marriage, The Aga Khan, one of the world's richest men and leader of Ismaili Muslims, and his wife of German origin have filed for divorce in London high court.

The couple, who married in 1998 and have a four-year-old son, Prince Aly, have decided to end their marriage officially after being separated for 12 months.

Begum Inaara, 44, a German citizen who was known as Princess Gabriele Zu Leiningen before marriage, filed for divorce yesterday, claiming the relationship had "irretrievably broken down".

Her spokesman, Lord Bell of Bell Pottinger, said: "The Begum considers the separation and divorce proceedings to be private matters and will be making no comment."

In the second divorce for both parties, The Aga Khan, a British citizen, divorced his first wife Sally Croker-Poole, a former British model, nine years ago.

The billionaire is reputed to have paid a 20 million pounds settlement to the mother of his three children.
 
His second wife, born Gabriele Homey in Frankfurt, was previously married to Prince Earl-Emichzu Leiningen. They were divorced in 1997.

A year later she married the 67-year-old Aga Khan, at his estate, Aiglemonth, north of Paris. She converted to the Muslim religion, taking the name Inaara, and lives in Berkshire. Lawyers for the Begum are said to be drawing up a list of who gets what.

Besides his 600 race horses, private jets and properties in five continents, the Aga owns newspapers, an airline, hotels, factories and a fabulous collection of jewellery and antiques.

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