In the summer of 2019, the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum became engaged in a high-profile legal battle with his now ex-wife, Princess Haya. Harrowing details of their marriage quickly spread, reading more like the plot of a Jilly Cooper novel than real life. But in fact, the findings were the bleak reality of Princess Haya's life in Dubai and her subsequent escape to London, where she now lives.
Today, that chapter culminated in the announcement of her divorce settlement online, which at £550m is the biggest divorce settlement in British history.
The UK's High Court awarded a lump sum settlement of £251.5m to Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussain - the 47-year-old daughter of Jordan's former King Hussein - to be secured with a £290m guarantee. The settlement will allow her to cover the cost of running two multi-million pound properties (one next to Kensington Palace and one in Surrey), salaries and accommodation for her staff, armoured vehicles for the family and the cost of maintaining various ponies and pets - as well as payment for her children. But most notably, much of the settlement will go toward security costs, with Princess Haya and her children noted as vulnerable by Judge Justice Moor.
'There is a clear and ever-present risk to these children that is almost certain to persist until they obtain their independence,' the judge said. 'There will remain a clear and ever-present risk to [Princess Haya] for the remainder of her life, whether it be from [Sheikh Mohammed] or just from the normal terrorist and other threats.;'
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum is a multi-billionaire, ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the UAE - as well as an influential horse-racing owner.
Now, Princess Haya is trending on Google, with many searching for the details of this extraordinary divorce case. But there's also search for 'Russell Flowers', Princess Haya's former bodyguard, after details of an alleged affair between the pair were made known in the court. Haya brought them herself, accusing members of security team of blackmailing her about the affair - she claimed they were paid almost £8.2m between them to stay silent.
Mr Justice Moor said in the judgment that Haya had 'dealt with a number of payments that had been made to four security staff during the marriage. These individuals had blackmailed HRH over an affair she had.'
But that's not the only scandal to come of the court case. In October, it was reported that during 2020 court proceedings for the couples divorce, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum interfered with British justice by ordering the hacking of her phone - plus those of her legal team, security and staff.
In High Court judgements, the president of the Family Division of the High Court found that 'the mobile phones of the mother (Princess Haya), two of her solicitors, her personal assistant and two members of her security staff had been the subject of either successful or attempted infiltration by surveillance software. The software used is called Pegasus software and was that of an Israeli company, the NSO Group.'
The court then concluded that the hacking was carried out 'by servants or agents of the father (Sheikh Mohammed), the Emirate of Dubai or the [United Arab Emirates] and that the surveillance occurred with the express or implied authority of the father.'
It meant that he had full access to Princess Haya's data, with NSO's Pegasus software able to track the location of the phone, read texts, emails and messages in other apps as well we listen in on calls, record and screenshot. All contacts, passwords, photographs and calendar dates are also accessible.
After the publication of the judgments, Sheikh Mohammed said in a statement:
'I have always denied the allegations made against me and I continue to do so. These matters concern supposed operations of state security. As a head of government involved in private family proceedings, it was not appropriate for me to provide evidence on such sensitive matters either personally or via my advisers in a foreign court."
'Neither the Emirate of Dubai nor the UAE are party to these proceedings and they did not participate in the hearing. The findings are therefore inevitably based on an incomplete picture,' he continued. 'In addition, the findings were based on evidence that was not disclosed to me or my advisers. I therefore maintain that they were made in a manner which was unfair.'
The Dubai ruler remains unlikely to face any judicial punishment despite the courts conclusion, not only is Dubai a close ally to the UK, he also has sovereign immunity from any future potential prosecution. It's a wonder the court was even able to come to this conclusion, but how they did is where this story becomes even more unfathomable.
According to the court, Princess Haya was informed that her phone had been hacked by her solicitor Baroness Shackleton (who has not only represented Paul McCartney, but Prince Charles and Prince Andrew too) after she received a panicked call from none other than Cherie Blair, wife of former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
Cherie acts as an advisor to NSO Group on business and human rights related issues - NSO denies supplying software to autocratic governments in order to carry out intrusive surveillance, maintaining that software is only supplied to governments to tackle criminal activity and terrorism - the BBC has also reported that it has terminated its contract with the UAE. According to the court, a senior member of NSO's management team called Cherie in August last year to inform her that 'it had come to their attention that their software may have been misused to monitor the mobile phones of Baroness Shackleton and HRH Princess Haya.'
The staff member said their phones were no longer accessible, and requested she help them contact Shackleton - who Cherie then called herself. Then during the court case, it was also revealed that Sheikh Mohammed attempted to buy a property in London that is so close to his ex-wife's home it would be easy to surveil.
'The mother has been living in fear of her life frankly, and in fear of the children's security since April of [2019],' Princess Haya's lawyers told the court.
The judgements only serve to solidify Sheikh Mohammed's reputation for mistreating female members of his family. Earlier this year, BBC Panorama obtained a video recorded by Princess Latifa - his daughter - who said she was being held hostage after attempting to flee Dubai by boat in 2018.
The UN then demanded proof she was alive and well, and she has since been spotted holidaying around the world - but human rights campaigners remain suspicious that she is still not at liberty.
Before her attempted escape in 2018, Princess Latifa recorded a video which was posted to Youtube (echoing the actions of Rahaf Al Qunun who took to Twitter when she was detained in Bangkok whilst trying to escape her family to seek asylum in Canada). In the video, which has over 2.8 million views, she said that women in her family were viewed as disposible and referred to her father, Sheikh Mohammed as 'pure evil'.
Sheikh Mohammed has also been subject to allegations that he kidnapped and forcibly returned his other daughter, Princess Shamsa, to Dubai after she also attempted to flee in July 2000.
Just 19 at the time, Princess Shamsa attempted to escape the family's estate in Surrey in the UK. It was reported in media outlets that Princess Shamsa had driven a Land Rover to the edge of the estate and then escaped on foot. However she was returned to Dubai a year later after being found in Cambridge. According to The Guardian, a close friend of Latifa said that Shamsa then spent the following eight years being imprisoned and drugged by her family.
With all of this in mind, the fact that Russel Flowers is the biggest search term attached to Princess Haya's name is concerning. Because it doesn't stop there: it's fueling a sexist narrative online whereby some allege Princess Haya 'married for money' and is now somehow the winner of all of this after receiving such a big settlement despite having an affair.
In actual fact, it's just not that simple. This situation is far more complex than can possibly be deduced to the same old 'gold digger' narrative women are subject to when they receive large settlements by a court of law. Because guess what, they're large for a reason.
There are so many allegations of mistreatment about Sheikh Mohammed, literal judge records confirming harrowing details about Princess Haya and her children's lives as part of his family. How can anyone read all of this and come to the conclusion that she is the ultimate winner?
This is a woman who will fear for her safety, and that of her children, forever. It's actually quite scary that despite all of the details that have come out about this case, people can still find a way to victim-blame her for the life she now leads and imply she knew what she was getting into. We should be supporting a woman clearly fearing for her life, not tearing her down will archaic, sexist insults.
Who is Princess Haya?
When Princess Haya, a daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and half-sister of King Abdullah II, learned of these abductions, she fled Dubai in 2019 for Britain along with her two children - son Zayed, 9, and daughter Al Jalila, 13. She has lived in an £85million townhouse in Kensington Palace Gardens ever since. As an envoy of the Embassy of Jordan, she is able to remain in the UK and is granted diplomatic immunity and protection under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Princess Haya, who was born in Jordan, is the half sister of the King of Jordan, King Abdullah II and became 72-year-old Sheikh Mohammed's sixth and 'junior' wife after marrying him in 2004. She was raised in boarding schools in the UK in addition to being a prolific competitor in equestrian sports.
What happened during Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed's divorce battle?
After fleeing to the UK and entering divorce proceedings, the details of the court case quickly spread for how truly wild they were. In the case at the High Court, Princess Haya requested wardship of her children, a forced marriage protection order (which protects an individual in a forced marriage or is being forced into marriage) and a non-molestation order, which protects from violence or harassment from family members, partners and ex-partners, against her husband.
In response to the orders, Sheikh Mohammed applied for the return of the couple's children to Dubai. Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the Sheikh's further request for restrictions on media reporting details, stating there is 'a public interest in the public understanding, in very broad terms, proceedings that are before the court'.
Sheikh Mohammad then published a poem on his Instagram page, believed to be directed at Princess Haya entitled 'You Lived And You Died'. In the verses, it furiously accuses the subject - a woman - of betrayal and treachery, stating: 'You betrayer, you betrayed the most precious trust, and your game has been revealed. Your days of lying are over and it doesn’t matter what we were and what you are.'
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