The ruler of Dubai’s ex-wife, Princess Haya bint Hussein, has been awarded Britain’s biggest ever divorce settlement payout.
The news comes in light of claims that blackmailers were paid £7m to keep Princess Haya's affair with her bodyguard a secret.
Following her affair, the princess faced a campaign of intimidation from her husband, which reportedly included a loaded gun being left in her bedroom and a helicopter landing at the palace to take her to prison.
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Fearing for her life she fled to London, where she now resides in a £100 million mansion with her children.
It was revealed in court that Princess Haya had taken money from one of her children's bank accounts to blackmail staff to keep her affair secret.
The man in question, Russell Flowers, had worked as a bodyguard for the 48-year-old since 2016, and accompanied her on many trips abroad.
They argued the original demand of £1.4 billion was needed to keep her and the children safe from her ex-husband, who was previously accused of abducting two of his daughters after they attempted to flee Dubai.
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Much of the divorce pay-out, which is an eye-watering sum totalling £554 million, will reportedly be spent on security in order to keep the princess and her young children safe from kidnap.
Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum will then pay a sum of £290 million towards his two children over the course of their lives.
Despite it being the largest divorce settlement in Britain’s history, the pay-out is £900 million short of what Princess Haya's lawyers first proposed, the Daily Mail has reported.
Justice Moor, who oversaw the divorce settlement, recognised the ‘clear and ever-present risk’ to the princess and her family, with Sheikh Mohammed being their ‘main threat’.
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He provided a breakdown of the £554m sum the princess was now entitled to, which would provide her with everything she needed for a ‘clean break’.
The judge was careful to ensure Princess Haya and her children could still enjoy the lavish lifestyle they were accustomed to in Dubai, so the children will now receive £11 million in child maintenance fees every year.
The sheikh, who is said to be worth an estimated £5 billion, provided his kids with £18 million a year while living in Dubai.
As well, the sheikh’s sixth wife received a £9 million allowance every year, and a further £82 million to spend on the royal palaces, according to The Guardian.
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Additional costs covered by the divorce pay-out include holidays, staffing costs, house maintenance costs and security.
The security costs, priced at £11m a year, will be paid up until the year 2068, when the sheikh, 73, and his ex-wife will be dead.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Money, UK News, Royal Family