London: Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein, the estranged wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, has asked for a forced marriage protection order in a British court.
According to media reports, Princess Haya on Tuesday appeared in a central London court for the first day of her high-profile legal battle with the Dubai ruler.
In addition to the forced marriage protection order, the princess has also reportedly asked for the wardship of the couple's two children and a non-molestation order for herself.
However, the details of the protection order sought by Princess Haya are not known.
A forced marriage protection order can be made under English law to protect a person from being forced into a marriage or help someone already in forced marriage.
Sheikh Mohammed, who has asked for his children to return to Dubai where he lives, was not present in the court.
The Sheikh and the princess issued a statement earlier this month confirming they were parties at the hearing at the Family Division of the High Court.
The statement said, "These proceedings are concerned with the welfare of the two children of their marriage and do not concern divorce or finances."
She is the third female family member of Sheikh Mohammed's court to leave the UAE after two of his daughters, from another marriage, attempted to flee.
Since then, reports have been floating in the British media that the princess has been living with her kids Sheikh Zayed and Sheikha Al Jalila, in a mansion near Kensington Palace worth about USD 107 million.
Princess Haya, the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and the half-sister of the King of Jordan, is a well-known international figure. She is a close of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
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