Ex-wife of Qatari prince found dead in suspected drug overdose at Marbella home
1 June 2022, 01:22
A former Qatar princess has been found dead at her home in Marbella after a suspected drug overdose.
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Kasia Gallanio, 45, was the third wife of billionaire Abdelaziz bin Khalifa Al Thani, 73, the uncle of the current Emir of Qatar.
Spanish police discovered Gallanio's body in a bed with no signs of physical violence on Sunday morning, according to Le Parisien.
A post mortem examination is yet to take place but initial investigations suggest she died of a drug overdose.
She married the Qatari royal in 2004 and they had three daughters together before later divorcing.
The pair had been embroiled in a 10-year custody battle, after she claimed he sexually abused one of their three daughters. He denied the allegations.
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Gallanio, who was born in Los Angeles and of Polish origin, was staying in one of the couple's homes in Marbella while dealing with depression and problems with alcohol, it was reported.
However, Louis Spagnuolo, a close friend of the former princess, told Spanish newspaper Olive Press that Gallanio was "against drugs" and not an alcoholic.
"I knew her very, very well and am devastated by the news," he said.
"She was a very good person and those who knew her loved her.
"She loved her daughters beyond belief and would never leave them. She was dead against drugs and was never an alcoholic."
Her three children initially lived with their father in Paris after Gallanio was denied custody.
He has lived in France since the '90s, when he was forced into exile over an alleged coup against the leader of Qatar.
