David Brown, Jonathan Ames, Ben Haugh
July 4, 2019, The Times
The lawyer who represented Prince Charles during his divorce has been asked to advise on the bitter split between the ruler of Dubai and his wife, who has fled to London in fear for her safety, legal sources claim.
The involvement of Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia could be a sign that London will be chosen for divorce proceedings, which are likely to lead to a record financial settlement.
Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, 45, is said to be living in her London mansion after leaving Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, 69.
Lady Shackleton represented the Prince of Wales in his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales. She also acted for the Duke of York in his split from Sarah, Duchess of York, and Paul McCartney after the end of his marriage to Heather Mills. She is the solicitor for the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.
Princess Haya and the sheikh are already embroiled in a legal dispute over the future of their two children, Jalila, 11, and Zayed, 7. Lady Shackleton, 63, known as the Steel Magnolia because of her ferocious legal ability and charm, did not respond to requests for comment on whether she was involved in advising the couple.
London is renowned for handling high-value international divorces and a settlement could surpass the record £453 million awarded to the wife of Farkhad Akhmedov, a Russian oligarch, in 2016.
The Times revealed on Monday that Princess Haya, the British-educated daughter of the former king of Jordan, is in hiding at her £85 million mansion close to Kensington Pa