She Loved a Saudi Prince — Then Lost Her Daughter and Fell to Her Death

Candice Cohen‑Ahnine was a French woman born around 1977 to a Jewish family. When she was 18 years old, she visited London and met Prince Sattam bin Khalid Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, at a nightclub in 1998. They began a relationship and later had a daughter named Aya, born in November 2001.

At first, their relationship continued despite cultural and religious differences. But in 2006, the prince told Candice he was expected to marry a cousin and could only keep her as a second wife. Candice refused, and the couple separated.

In September 2008, Candice agreed to visit Saudi Arabia with Aya so the prince could see their daughter. According to Candice’s own account, once in Riyadh she was trapped in a palace and separated from Aya. She claimed she was accused by Saudi authorities of converting from Islam to Judaism, a charge she feared could be risky under Saudi law. She said she managed to escape to the French embassy when a maid left a door open and then returned to France — but without her daughter. This is her story, and it was widely reported, though it comes from her own statements.

After returning to France, Candice began a long legal and diplomatic fight to get custody of Aya. In January 2012, a Paris court ruled that Prince Sattam must return Aya to her mother and also pay monthly child support. The prince refused to obey that ruling and said Aya was a Saudi citizen and princess, so France could not force her return.

Candice wrote a book titled Give My Daughter Back! about her struggle and spoke to media to raise awareness of her case. She said she only talked to Aya occasionally by phone, and she was deeply worried about her daughter’s life in Riyadh.

Just as things seemed to be improving — with plans for Candice to travel to Riyadh in September 2012 to finally see her daughter — tragedy struck. On 16 August 2012, Candice fell from the fourth‑floor window of her Paris apartment and passed away. Police ruled her demise an accident after investigation, and they said self harm was not the cause. There were reports she told relatives she felt threatened in the days before her fall, but there was no official conclusion of foul play.

Candice was 35 years old at the time of her demise. Her fight for custody and her tragic end drew international media attention because it involved complex issues of nationality, religion, family law, and diplomatic tensions. Aya, her daughter, remained in Saudi Arabia after Candice’s demise

*Some details in this story are based on Candice Cohen‑Ahnine’s own accounts and have not been independently verified. *