LOS ANGELES — The surviving children of Martin Luther King are embroiled in an ugly legal squabble over the estate of the iconic civil rights leader.

Bernice King, 45, and Martin Luther King III, 50, claim Dexter King, 47, has taken “substantial funds” from the estate of their mother Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006.

The pair also allege that he “misapplied or wasted” assets from a company set up to license their father’s image and intellectual property.

They also say he is hiding documents concerning the company’s operations and are demanding he lets them see the books.

Dexter King is president of the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. — a company set up in 1993 and worth millions of dollars. His brother and sister are shareholders.

The pair claim Mr. King took the money from their mother’s estate and transferred it to his company.

Their lawyer, Jock Smith, said, “This was very heartfelt on their part and very taxing on them to have to do this. They are not happy that they had to bring this action. All they’re asking for is … to be included in their daddy’s legacy.”

Mr. King has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.

In a statement, he said, “I’m disappointed that our personal family disagreement, as it relates to the family business, has evolved into being handled in a public legal forum. It is my hope that this inappropriate and false claim by my siblings will be swiftly resolved and we can go about the business of focusing on our parents’ tremendous legacy.”

Juanita Abernathy, wife of the late Ralph David Abernathy, who was the civil rights leader’s closest confidant, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “It tugs at the heartstrings — because I know that their parents would not want this.

“They taught their children to get along.”