Though she is married to the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, she is commonly referred to as Princess Haya of Jordan. Yes, marrying one of the richest monarchs in the world will push you into the public eye. More so, fleeing to the UK to escape him will do it even more. This highly unusual action has made her the subject of speculations since she fled with her children. There is no doubt that the whole world is watching to see the outcome of the case she has lodged in UK courts. After painting a picture-perfect marriage for years, recent events have led speculators to believe there’s more than what meets the eyes, let’s learn more about this Princess, shall we?
Who Is Princess Haya?
She was born Princess Haya bint Hussein on the 3rd of May, 1974 in Hamman. She’s obviously of Royal descent, her father was King Hussein of Jordan and her mother was his third wife, Queen Alia. In addition to herself, the King and Queen had a son, Prince Ali bin Hussein and an adopted daughter Abir Muhaisen. Tragedy struck their close-knit unit when Haya was just 3 years of age. While in a helicopter, her mother was involved in a fatal accident that claimed her life, back in 1977.
By 1999, King Hussein equally gave up the ghost after suffering from complications related to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After his passing, the crown was passed on to Haya’s half brother, King Abdullah II.
The Princess received all of her formal education in the United Kingdom. It all began in 1985 when she was enrolled at the Badminton School for Girls in Bristol. Soon after, she was moved to Branston School in Dorset. Between the years 1993 to 1995, Princess Haya attended St Hilda’s College, Oxford University. After her studies, she was awarded a BA honors degree in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE).
In addition to her formal education, the Princess received keen horse riding training. This exposed her to international riding competitions at the age of 13 and they yielded many awards and accolades. For instance, in 1992, at the 7th Pan Arab Games in Syria, she was awarded the bronze medal in individual jumping. After training for years in Ireland and Germany, she went on to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia (2000). There, she represented Jordan in the showjumping category and served as the country’s flag bearer.
Her Marriage to The Dubai Ruler
Back in April 2004, the Princess tied the knot with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He bore a number of titles, the highest of which is the Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The ceremony itself took place at Al-Baraka Palace in Amman. The 2nd of December, 2007, was the day she gave birth to her first child, Sheikha Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Then, by 7th January 2012, she had her second child, Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
For years, the princess spoke in high regard about her marriage and her husband. They share a love for horses and that seemingly brought them closer together. Theirs seemed like a picture-perfect marriage, but it all began to unravel when Sheikha Latifa, one of the daughters of the Ruler of Dubai attempted to flee in 2018. It was not too long after she was captured and returned that Princess Haya upped and left with her children.
Why Princess Haya Fled The UAE for The UK
Fast forward to present times, Princess Haya proceeded to apply for a forced marriage protection order as well as a non-molestation order in the UK High Court in London. In addition to this, she is requesting sole custody of her children. The precise background events that led to all this are unknown. Nevertheless, on 30 June 2019, it was reported that she fled Dubai with her children and a whopping £31 million.
The reports further state that she feared for her life and first applied for asylum in Germany. At the time, it was speculated that she was escorted by a German diplomat into the country. Her husband’s first response came in the form of a poem on Instagram, both in Arabic and English, which accused his wife of betrayal. Soon after, on 5th July 2019, he proceeded to sue her in the United Kingdom’s High Court of Justice for custody of her children. The legal battle is still on.