Dubai ruler's wife Princess Haya fled to London after her billionaire husband 'became suspicious about her friendship with her British bodyguard'
- Princess Haya bint al-Hussein fled Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum
- Friends said sheikh became suspicious of her relationship with a bodyguard
- She lavished gifts on him and was suspected of 'inappropriate intimacy'
- Do you know the bodyguard? Email martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com
The ruler of Dubai's wife Princess Haya fled London after her billionaire husband became concerned she was 'too close' with a British bodyguard, according to new reports.
Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, 45, is the subject of unprecedented legal action brought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, 69, in the Family Division of the High Court.
Friends said she fled the palace 'in fear for her life' after the sheikh became suspicious of her closeness with a former British Army bodyguard who protected the family. It is not suggested that the suspicions were justified.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the youngest wife of Dubai's ruler, spent months meticulously plotting her escape to London after her billionaire husband Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (pictured together with their associates at Ascot in 2016) became concerned she was 'too close' with a British bodyguard
Friends previously said she fled Dubai after hearing about how Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum had apparently treated his daughter Princess Latifa (pictured above), who was captured after attempting to flee Dubai last year
Princess Haya, one of his six wives, lavished gifts on the bodyguard, while senior royals were critical of what they described as 'inappropriate intimacy' between the pair, reported The Times.
In an Arabic poem posted on an Instagram account affiliated with the sheikh last week, he wrote: 'You betrayer, you betrayed the most precious trust, and your game has been revealed.'
The bodyguard was employed by UK Mission Enterprise Limited, which is based in London and has a turnover of £5million, according to the latest accounts filed at Companies' House.
Representatives of the princess, the bodyguard and UK Mission Enterprises all failed to respond to requests for comment sent by The Times.
Princess Haya is said to be hiding with her children in her £85million mansion overlooking Kensington Palace.
Her husband, one of the world's richest men, is trying to obtain a court order to have his children returned to Dubai.
Both husband and wife are friends of the Queen, prompting fears she may be dragged into what could be Britain's biggest ever divorce.
It was claimed on Wednesday that Princess Haya ran away from her luxurious life in Dubai – having spent months 'meticulously' plotting her escape – because of what she learned about another member of the Dubai royals who tried to flee.
Princess Haya is now believed to be in hiding in Britain with the couple's two children and is set for a multi-million divorce and bitter child custody battle with her 69-year-old billionaire racehorse owner husband (pictured with their associates)
Princess Latifa, a daughter of the billionaire racehorse-owning sheikh by another of his six wives, was said to have been captured as she tried to get away to make a new life, and dragged back to Dubai.
She has claimed in a video that she was held on her father's orders after her escape bid was discovered.
Princess Haya fears she may now be abducted herself and 'rendered' back to Dubai after finding out 'disturbing facts' about Princess Latifa, according to the BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner.
She was apparently assured by her husband that the Latifa episode involved her being 'kidnapped' and then 'rescued'.
But on Wednesday night a family source told MailOnline: 'Princess Haya finally learned the truth about what her husband did to his own daughter – and feared the same could happen to her.'
The source said Princess Haya had initially believed the claim by her husband, who owns prestigious stables in Newmarket, Suffolk, that Latifa had been rescued as the victim of an extortion plot.
Princess Latifa, 33, one of Sheikh Mohammed's 23 children by different wives, fled Dubai on a yacht in February last year, to make a new life in the US, but she was caught by special forces. She recorded videos before her capture, saying her life was a sham.
Princess Haya bought this property in Kensington for £85 million from Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal in 2017 and applied for planning permission to alter the Grade II listed building
The family source claimed it was Princess Haya's fears for her own two children, aged 11 and seven, that triggered her decision to leave. Matters are said to have come to a head after a high-profile intervention by former Irish president Mary Robinson.
Mrs Robinson visited Dubai at Princess Haya's request, and met Latifa. But after the controversial encounter, Princess Haya is understood to have begun asking 'awkward' questions about Latifa.
The family friend said: 'The princess is an intelligent woman and would have realised that her husband's people were covering up the truth of what happened. She must have feared something similar could happen to her or her children...'
After planning her departure at the beginning of the year, Princess Haya, half-sister to King Abdullah II of Jordan, is thought to have fled Dubai in early May, travelled to Germany and then Britain. The half-British, Oxford-educated princess reportedly fled the Arab kingdom with £31million.
A Family Court hearing has been set for July 30, when lawyers for the sheikh will argue that his children belong with him.
Sheikh Mohammed has hired Helen Ward, who handled Guy Ritchie's split from Madonna, while Princess Haya hired Fiona Shackleton, whose clients have included Prince Charles in his split from Diana.
