Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Apr 15, 2026

Princess Paid Bodyguard $9M in Blackmail to Keep Their Affair Quiet, but Still Got Busted

Princess Paid Bodyguard $9M in Blackmail to Keep Their Affair Quiet, but Still Got Busted

The royal couple lived large when they were together, spending more than $2 million in one summer-on strawberries. But then she was blackmailed by her lover and his greedy chums.

Money, it seems, really can’t buy love. But in the case of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, and his sixth wife, Princess Haya, it can sure buy a lot of other stuff, including the silence of her secret lover.

In what is being dubbed as the biggest divorce settlement in U.K. history, the newly divorced sheikh was ordered to pay some $734 million to his estranged wife in a case that has lifted the veil on what the super rich do in their spare time.

Testimony, which can only now be reported under British court rules, suggests that Princess Haya, 47, who happens to be the sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, “borrowed” a cool $7.5 million from her then 10-year-old daughter’s trust account to pay off her bodyguard, a former British soldier, with whom she was conducting an illicit affair. The princess’ security team had apparently blackmailed her to keep the tryst under wraps. “I was scared and that was the money available in that account,” the princess told the court, according to British press accounts published Tuesday.

The sheikh, 72, divorced his youngest wife when he discovered the affair, which led to the court proceedings. Calling their life “truly opulent” and remarking on the “unprecedented standard of living enjoyed by these parties,” the presiding judge ordered the wealthy ruler to pay the princess millions to continue to enjoy the lifestyle to which she and her children have become accustomed.

A large part of the record settlement is for security for the princess and her children—to protect them from the sheikh, who apparently considered her infidelity a capital offense. “Most importantly in this regard, and absolutely uniquely, the main threat they face is from HH himself not from outside sources,” the judge said, referring to the sheikh as His Highness. “This is compounded by the full weight of the state that he has available to him as seen by his ability to make use of the Pegasus software, which is only available to governments.” The sheikh used the software to hack the phones of the princess and her lawyers.

The judge also scolded the blackmailers, who have not yet been charged with any crime, saying, “This was clearly a most unsatisfactory episode. I realize I have not heard from the alleged blackmailers, but nobody should be blackmailed and HRH must have been very frightened at this point.”

The couple separated in 2019 when the sheikh discovered his wife’s infidelity. Haya took the kids, now age 14 and 9, to the U.K. While married, the ruler provided the princess with an annual $110 million budget for household expenses and nearly $12 million in allowance for each of the children. Haya originally asked for nearly $2 billion in maintenance.

The court saw holiday snapshots of the family on their $400 million super yacht, in addition to vacation pictures from their collection of villas and estates as well as shots of their custom-made Boeing 747 and matching helicopters, all staffed by around 80 servants. The court was also told how one summer, the family of four spent more than $2 million—on strawberries.

While the high-dollar payout would surely have satisfied most divorcées—especially considering the circumstances of her infidelity—Haya was said to be disappointed not to have her haute couture wardrobe, valued at about $110 million, or her $26 million jewelry collection returned to her from Dubai. The court was shown a photo of her walk-in jewelry vault, which she said had been stripped of the good stuff, leaving around $25,000 in “costume jewelry” that the judge did offer to order returned. According to press reports, he asked her if there would be “any point” to do so, to which she said, simply, “no.”

She will also not get her stable of racehorses, but instead was awarded some $6.6 million to “buy a few reasonable horses and run them for several years.”

Her lawyers had insisted that travel funds be allocated for the children, which the court awarded to the tune of $7 million a year, plus an additional $1.3 million for unspecified “leisure” activities. An additional $250,000 was earmarked for animals, including horses and ponies, and $130,000 for the children’s private tutors.

A request for the couple’s son Zayed, age 9, for money to purchase three new automobiles—in addition to the one he already owns—was denied, with the judge telling the princess, “I do consider it an artificial edifice to talk of children of the ages of these children owning motor vehicles. Moreover, Zayed’s precious motor vehicle has now finally been returned to him.”

Admitting that the circumstances of the divorce were highly unusual, the judge applauded the princess for wanting her children to have a “normal life,” adding that in his judgment he did his best “to a conclusion as to what is reasonable while remembering that the exceptional wealth and remarkable standard of living enjoyed by these children during the marriage takes this case entirely out of the ordinary.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
Jordan and Saudi Arabia Declare Absolute Solidarity in Response to Iranian Threats
×