Princess Haya custody case tests Britain's loyalties to allies Jordan and UAE

Hugging her brother who clasps a protective arm tightly around her shoulder, Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein appears eager to ensure the flag of her native Jordan on her jumper is prominent in her latest photograph.

The Jordanian princess is locked in an acrimonious legal battle in the British courts with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the multi-millionaire ruler of Dubai, over the welfare of their two children.

The picture, probably taken at her £85 million home in Kensington, shows her and Prince Ali bin al-Hussein staring intently at the camera.

The caption, posted yesterday alongside the photograph on the prince’s Twitter account, reads: “Today with my sister and apple of my eye.”

Some commentators in the Middle East believe the message she wants to relay is clear - she has returned to the bosom of her Jordanian family.

The 45-year-old mother fled with her children from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where she lived with the sheikh, the country’s vice-president and prime minister, apparently “in fear for her life” in April.

The estranged and sixth wife of Sheikh Matktoum, 70, has asked a judge in the High Court to make an arranged marriage protection order for one of her children, as well as a non-molestation order. The sheikh, who founded the Godolphin stables and is a friend of the Queen, has applied to the courts for the “summary return” of the youngsters to the UAE.

This latest picture has fueled speculation in the Middle East that the break-up could trigger a diplomatic crisis between the UAE and Jordan.

Meanwhile, the fact courts from a third country - Britain - are ruling on what’s best for children belonging to the royal families of two different foreign countries is unprecedented.

Some experts say it puts Britain in an awkward position because it tests loyalties to two of its most important Middle East allies.

“British courts are absolutely independent and impartial, and will consider this case with the same objectivity as they would in any other,” Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said. “Having said that, I do believe such a sensitive case, with implications that could impact the UK’s foreign relations in the region, and the reputations of two royal families, would be better handled privately.”

While Jordan has made no official mention of the hearing, the case has been widely discussed by nationals of both countries on social media.

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political scientist, wrote this week on Twitter: “A sensible and respectable princess of strong lineage does not flee, kidnap, disappear or show ingratitude, and certainly does not trouble the spirit of someone who cherished, loved and provided for her and treated her with dignity.”

The message came after the sheikh himself posted a cryptic poem about deceit on online and another about the UAE’s “shining sword” that would protect it from foes.

Qusai Zreiqat, a Jordanian, posted: “She is a daughter of a king, a granddaughter of a king and a sister of a king before there was a country called the Emirates.”