The estranged sixth wife of Sheik Mohammed al-Maktoum is being supported in her secret London hideaway by her Jordanian prince brother, it was revealed today.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, 45, is battling Dubai’s billionaire ruler in the High Court to secure a forced marriage protection order for their two children – and stop them leaving Britain.
And today she was supported by her younger brother Prince Ali bin Hussein, 43, who hugged her as she wore a fleece with the Jordanian flag on her sleeve in a picture he shared on Twitter.
Princess Haya claims to have fled Dubai with her two children to hide in the UK ‘in fear of her life’
Haya and Prince Ali are the children of King Hussein, who was succeeded on the throne in Amman by Abdullah II in 1999.
King Abdullah has visited Sheik Mohammed’s UAE twice in the past month as he tries to maintain good relations with the Gulf state in the wake of the court case.
Jordan’s Prince Ali Al Hussein, 43, hugs his sister Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, 45, at her London home after the second day of her legal battle with Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed al-Maktoum in a picture posted on Twitter
Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, pictured at the High Court today, has applied for wardship of her children and a forced marriage protection order to prevent them from being taken abroad by her husband
Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, the estranged wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (pictured together in 2017) is seeking a protection order in Britain
Yesterday Dubai’s billionaire ruler shared a cryptic poem about ‘swords of pain’ as the High Court set a November date for his divorce battle.
Princess Haya, 45, attended the second day of a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London yesterday where it was decided the full hearing will be held on November 11.
The president of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, allowed the media to report that Princess Haya has applied for wardship of their children, as well as for a non-molestation order.
Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has demanded the ‘summary return’ of his children to the United Arab Emirates, a country with strong links with Haya’s home country.
While Jordan’s official media made no mention of the case today Jordanians took to social media to express solidarity with Princess Haya.
Princess Haya wed the 70-year-old sheik, who is also vice-president of the UAE, in 2004 in what was believed to be his sixth marriage. He has more than 20 children by different wives.
Princess Haya, 45, is the daughter of Jordan’s late Queen Alia, a popular figure with Palestinian roots who died in a helicopter crash in 1977.
The princess, who competed in equestrian events in the 2000 Olympics, and her brother Prince Ali are seen by many Jordanians as charismatic members of the Hashemite royal family.
Two Jordanian sources close to Princess Haya said her decision to fight her legal battle in London while steering clear of Jordan was meant partly to spare King Abdullah and the Hashemites any diplomatic incident.
Jordan and the UAE, both U.S. allies, are eager to show the case will have no bearing on their relations, analysts said.
In a move seen as aimed at stressing their close ties, King Abdullah visited the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, just a few days before the London court hearing and was received by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan.
State-owned Jordanian papers and television gave extensive coverage to the visit, showing the king walking the red carpet and being received by a guard of honour. It was King Abdullah’s second visit to the UAE in a month.
Wednesday’s hearing comes as Sheik Mohammed, one of the world’s richest men, shared a poem in Arabic called ‘the swords of the sufferer’ which describes overcoming life’s challenges.
The Princess, pictured with lawyer Baroness Fiona Shackleton arriving at court, is in the early stages of a divorce with her husband that could be worth £4.5billion
As his wife battled the Sheik in the High Court, he posted a poem on Instagram describing battling ‘swords’ and overcoming ‘difficult’ challenges
The short post, which appears to contain Islamic scripture, says: ‘Glory to his family. He has to return the vengeance.. and solve the most difficult things’.
The billionaire’s Instagram post came weeks after he posted a poem saying: ‘You cheated the most precious thing’ and ‘I gave you trust and space…the biggest mistake you did was to lie’.
It is not known if Sheik Mohammed wrote the poems himself but many claimed his June Instagram post was slamming his wife because it also contained the words ‘betrayal’.
Princess Haya – his sixth wife – has been seen for the first time in months at London’s Royal Courts of Justice.
Wearing an ivory dress, diamond-studded earrings and clutching a designer handbag, she was joined by Baroness Shackleton, the specialist divorce lawyer dubbed the ‘Steel Magnolia’ who handled Prince Charles’s split from Princess Diana and the Paul McCartney-Heather Mills divorce.
The family court heard that Princess Haya has applied under UK law for a ‘forced marriage protection order’ for one of her children.
This is designed to protect someone who may be at risk of ‘being threatened with a forced marriage’, to stop them being taken out of the UK, according to the Government’s website.
The Oxford-educated princess has also asked for a ‘non-molestation order’, designed to help victims of domestic violence.
Pictured: the Oxford-educated princess, 45, leaving court yesterday with her lawyer Fiona Shackleton
Princess Haya was swept into the RCJ in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes and surrounded by security
Reporters who were based outside of England and Wales were prevented from attending the hearing (Princess Haya pictured arriving yesterday)
Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum and estranged wife Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, pictured together at Royal Ascot in 2013, have begun a High Court battle in the UK over their children ahead of their divorce
Princess Haya, right, fled Dubai in June with her two children by the Sheikh and legal experts predict they could battle for £4.5billion in a divorce, although the court hearing relates only to their children’s welfare
A poem alleged to have been written by Sheik Mohammed and talking about ‘betrayal’ was posted on an Instagram account linked to the Dubai ruler
There were extraordinary scenes at the High Court as private bodyguards prowled outside oak-panelled Court 33 as the Dubai royal family’s secrets were dissected by some of the UK’s highest-paid lawyers.
The sheikh, who owns racing stables in Newmarket, was not present but the 70-year-old ruler instructed three top-flight QCs to fight his corner, along with solicitor Helen Ward, who in 2009 protected Bernie Ecclestone’s £2billion fortune from his ex-wife Slavica.
Princess Haya, the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, sat in the front row listening intently as the fate of her children unfolded.
Princess Haya smuggled them out of Dubai earlier this year ‘in fear of her life’, according to the BBC’s well-connected security correspondent Frank Gardner.
She reportedly took £31million with her and sought refuge in her £85million townhouse near Kensington Palace.
The estranged couple are both friends of the Queen. Their estimated £4.5billion divorce could be the costliest in British legal history.
Haya, who is fighting for custody of her two children, successfully requested they be made wards of the British court, meaning no major decisions can be made about their future without a family judge’s permission.
A court order means further details of the case, including the ages and genders of the children, cannot be reported.
The battle between the parents is still at an early stage, and all the applications have yet to be heard or decided.
The family court will hear arguments later this year before deciding what should happen to the children.
The divorce proceedings have not even started yet.
The Princess (right) had previously met the Duchess of Cornwall (left) in Dubai. The High Court heard that the Princess was applying for a forced marriage protection order
Family courts are set to argue what will happen to the couple’s children. The Princess with her husband in 2018 (left) and at an event in London (right)
The Princess recently moved into an £85million townhouse, pictured, which she bought from Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal in 2017
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum is pictured here receiving a trophy from The Queen after one of his horses won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June 22, with his wife noticeably absent after previously frequenting the event with him
Sources claim Princess Haya fled after learning ‘disturbing facts’ about the Sheikh’s treatment of his daughter Latifa, 33, pictured, who campaigners say is being ‘held prisoner’ in Dubai after a failed escape attempt
It was previously reported that Haya fled Dubai in May after what happened to her husband’s daughter Princess Latifa, 33.
One of his 23 children by different wives, Latifa left last year to make a new life in the US, but was intercepted by special forces and forced to return.
The BBC’s security correspondent said Haya fears she may be abducted herself and ‘rendered’ back to Dubai.
The sheik, who is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, has not made any public comment.
Former infantry soldier Russell Flowers (pictured) is the bodyguard reported to have had ‘inappropriate contact’ with the wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed, sparking their divorce
Flowers, a close protection officer (pictured at Ascot last year with Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed) worked for the Princess for five years where the pair struck up a close friendship
The princess would spend time with the former Infantry soldier at the couples’ stunning 3,000-acre Suffolk home Dalham Hall (above). Mr Flowers lived in his marital home nearby in Newmarket before he separated from his wife last year
Battle of the big-money briefs: Ruler of Dubai and his on-the-run wife bring in two of London’s most famous divorce lawyers as they prepare to go war over his billions
By Joe Middleton for MailOnline
The ruler of Dubai and his on-the-run wife have brought in two of London’s most famous divorce lawyers as they prepare to go to war over his billions.
Oxford educated Princess Haya Al Hussein fled the country with her children after the break up of her marriage with billionaire Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
Princess Haya hired Baroness Shackleton, who has represented Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney.
Princess Haya is thought to be living in London at an £85 million mansion near Kensington Palace, and has hired Baroness Shackleton (pictured right), who has represented Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney. Meanwhile Sheikh Mohammed has hired Helen Ward (pictured left) who represented Guy Ritchie when he was divorcing Madonna
Meanwhile Sheikh Mohammed has employed Helen Ward who represented Guy Ritchie when he was divorcing Madonna.
The hiring of two of London’s most reputable lawyers indicates the capital is the likely venue for is likely to be one an obscenely expensive and fiercely contested divorce and custody battles in the capital’s history.
Baroness Shackleton is known as the ‘Steel Magnolia’, for her charm and determination, after securing the Prince of Wales a divorce settlement in 1996.
She also represented Sir Paul McCartney in his divorce, and famously had a glass of water thrown over her by Heather Mills.
Baroness Shackleton became a life peer sitting on the Tory benches in 2010 and remains the personal solicitor of Princes William and Harry.
Meanwhile Lady Ward, who works for Stewart’s Law of London, is known for her sharp intelligence and work ethic, previously claiming she worked 17 or 18 hour days ‘if I have to.’
Lady Ward was also represented Bernie Ecclestone in his £2bn divorce battle with ex-wife Slavica, at the High Court in 2009.