Princess Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 30, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, has taken to her Instagram page to announce her apparent split from her husband.
The princess tied the knot with Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is also a member of the Dubai ruling family, in a lavish ceremony last May. They welcomed their only child, a daughter, two months ago.
Sheika Mahra’s latest IG post reads: “Dear husband, as you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce. I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex wife.”
For those wondering about the significance of Sheika Mahra repeating the phrase “I divorce you” three times, it’s said to be a reference to the controversial practice of triple talaq.
According to the Sunni Islamic law, the triple talaq allows a Muslim man to “instantly divorce” his wife by saying the Arabic word for divorce thrice. The practice is banned in several countries, and is typically only invoked by men against their wives. The men are not required to provide a reason, or get the agreement of their wives to proceed with the practice.
Sheika Mahra’s post also insinuates that her husband has been unfaithful to her.
Following her announcement, both Sheika Mahra and Sheikh Mana appear to have deleted photos of, and with each other from their own Instagrams.
Sheika Mahra has received many supportive comments, though there are some wondering if she had been hacked.
Her post is still active two days after it first went up, and neither the UAE government nor Sheikh Mana have addressed the matter publicly. They have not responded to media queries regarding the divorce either.