**A Saudi Arabian prince has appeared in court charged with murdering his aide in a five-star hotel in central London.**Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, 33, spoke only to confirm his details at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
He is accused of killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz, 32, who was found in the Landmark Hotel at Marylebone on Monday.
Mr Al Saud was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 28 May.
A bail hearing was set for next week.
A post-mortem examination on Mr Abdulaziz’s body found he was strangled.
Sightseeing trip
Michael Wolkind QC, counsel for Mr Al Saud, called his client “the prince” in court.
He said: "We look forward to a trial where we will expose a prosecution case which has turned a genuine friendship with the deceased to a false relationship of master and servant.
“The prosecution has turned a genuine tragedy into a wrongful accusation of murder.”
Mr Al Saud was helped by an Arabic interpreter in the hearing. He is also charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.
He had been in London for a four-week sightseeing trip.