Skip to main content

Dubai princess's Instagram account announces divorce with royal husband

Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra Mohammed. (hhshmahra / Instagram Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra Mohammed. (hhshmahra / Instagram
Share

The daughter of Dubai’s ruler has apparently announced her divorce on social media in what would be a rare move for a princess in the United Arab Emirates.

The Instagram account of Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced her intention to leave her husband, a fellow royal.

“I hereby declare our divorce,” 30-year-old Sheikha Mahra’s account posted on Instagram on Wednesday. “I divorce you, I divorce you, and I Divorce You. Take care. Your ex-wife.”

The princess appeared to be invoking the controversial practice of triple divorce that is used in some Muslim countries where a man instantly divorces his wife by declaring it three times. The method is banned in some countries and isn’t customarily invoked by women against their husbands.

Mahra married Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, also a member of the Dubai ruling family, last year in a glamorous ceremony that was featured in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Grazia. They had a daughter shortly after. Pictures of her with her husband have now been removed from her account. There are no pictures of her on Sheikh Mana’s Instagram account either.

The princess has a visible public and social media presence, often attending red carpet events in Dubai and adorning the cover of regional magazines, an unusual practice for female royals. She has almost half-a-million followers on Instagram, where she posts about her hobbies, her love for horses, her charity work as well as selfies. Her mother is Zoe Grigorakos, a Greek national, according to local media.

Some Instagram users speculated whether her account had been hacked. Both the post and the account, however, remain active more than a day since the post went up.

CNN has reached out to the Dubai government’s Media Office for comment, which referred CNN to Sheikha Mahra’s media office. CNN hasn’t been able to reach Mahra’s media office.

Neither the UAE government nor Mahra’s husband Sheikh Mana have publicly commented on the Instagram post. CNN has reached out to Sheikh Mana for comment through his Instagram account.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Do you need a lawyer when making a will in Canada?

Many people believe that creating a will requires the services of a lawyer, but this isn't always the case. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew explains a lawyer's role when crafting your last will and testament.

BREAKING

BREAKING U.S. Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt

The director of the Secret Service is stepping down from her job, according to an email she sent to staff, following the assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the agency tasked with protecting current and former presidents could fail in its core mission.

Local Spotlight

Video shows B.C. grizzly basking in clawfoot tub

A donated clawfoot bathtub has become the preferred lounging spot for a pair of B.C. grizzly bears, who have been taking turns relaxing and reclining in it – with minimal sibling squabbling – for the past year.