Like a plot from one of his novels exploring family conflict, Mr Follett, 69, and his wife Barbara, a former Labour minister, are in a legal battle with solicitor Caroline Follett, 51.

She was married to the multi-millionaire author’s son, rock musician Emanuele. They had split up before he died from leukaemia at the age of 49 last year.

She has lodged proceedings at an employment tribunal alleging discrimination on the grounds of ‘sex, marriage or transgender’ and disability. She also claims breach of contract and unfair dismissal.

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Ken Follett, 69, and his wife Barbara (pictured together in 2002), a former Labour minister, are in a legal battle with solicitor Caroline Follett, 51

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Caroline was married to the multi-millionaire author’s son, rock musician Emanuele (pictured playing with his father). They had split up before he died from leukaemia at the age of 49 last year

A source described the dispute as ‘tragic’ and said it stemmed from Caroline’s ‘messy’ marriage to Emanuele.ADVERTISING

An initial public hearing at the Central London Employment Tribunal was quickly declared ‘private’ when a reporter entered the room. The case was then adjourned.

Documents from the employment case set out how Caroline is taking action against Ken and Barbara who operated as a business with the late Emanuele called BEK Partnership. The business is linked to The Joint, a six-room music rehearsal studio in London used by chart-topping stars such as Adele, Coldplay and Van Morrison that was run by Emanuele.

Emanuele was in a relationship with another woman, Kate Alliott, at the time of his death. His mother is Ken Follett’s first wife Mary. Mr Follett was previously a director of the company that owns the studio, with half of the company’s shares now owned by Emanuele’s estate.

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Caroline has lodged proceedings at an employment tribunal alleging discrimination on the grounds of ‘sex, marriage or transgender’ and disability

Welsh-born former journalist Mr Follett, whose thrillers and historical novels include The Pillars of the Earth and Eye of the Needle, is worth an estimated £50million after chalking up global sales of more than 160million books. His second wife Barbara, 76, who was forced to pay back more than £42,000 as part of the Westminster expenses scandal, declared owning shares in BEK Partnership during her time in Parliament.

The partnership is behind Waterwynch House, an 11-bedroom property set in a 26-acre valley on the Pembrokeshire coastline. However, it is understood that Caroline and Emanuele’s names are on the deeds. The mansion was purchased in 2012 for £1.8million by the couple after Caroline closed her London law firm.

The property, which is available to hire for up to £13,950-a-week and was once the home of Lord and Lady Ridsdale, is billed as a ‘holistic escape’. It is currently used as a base for women-only retreats jointly run by Welsh singer Charlotte Church. It was previously described online as fulfilling ‘Caroline’s dream to share the beauty and essence of the natural world as part of the physical, mental and spiritual healing so many of us need’. A post on its website said: ‘Caroline retired as a lawyer and closed her law firm in Central London to focus on Waterwynch.

‘In her quest for self-knowledge, she has first-hand experience of a very diverse range of holistic practices and approaches to the treatment of mental health issues.

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