Dubai Ruler’s Ex-Wife Princess Haya Paid Rs 12 Crore to British Bodyguard to Hide Affair

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the ruler of Dubai, and Princess Haya

Princess Haya, the sixth wife of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, reportedly paid Rs 12 crore to her British bodyguard, Russell Flowers, to keep their two-year affair a secret. According to reports, she also paid a similar amount to three other royal bodyguards who became aware of the relationship, allegedly to buy their silence.

As per the Daily Mail, Princess Haya, 46, the daughter of the late King of Jordan, showered Flowers, 37, with expensive gifts, including a Rs 12 lakh luxury watch and a Rs 49 lakh vintage shotgun. The affair was exposed during a child custody battle at London’s High Court between Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed.

Flowers, a former soldier in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, began working as Haya’s bodyguard in 2016, frequently accompanying her on international trips. The scandal reportedly led to the end of Flowers' four-year marriage. Friends of his ex-wife revealed she was devastated, claiming that the bodyguard was "seduced by money and gifts" and that the princess ensured he was always by her side.

Reports suggest that Haya denies several allegations about the affair. However, after her husband confronted her, she fled to London in 2018 with their two children. The court later granted her full custody of their daughter (now 11) and son (now 7).

Princess Haya and her children currently reside in a Rs 850 crore mansion in Kensington, London.