On Wednesday, Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler, appeared to take personal grievances with her husband to the grid. Sheikha Mahra shared a text-only post on Instagram that appeared to be an announcement of her intention to divorce her spouse of just over a year.
“Dear Husband,” the post reads. “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.”
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Sheikha Mahra married Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum in a lavish ceremony in May 2023, and gave birth to their daughter less than three months ago. Sheikha Mahra’s Instagram account appears to be scrubbed of all photos of her husband, and Sheikh Mana’s Instagram similarly bears no evidence of his wife or child.
Solo bridal portraits of Sheikha Mahra from last year survived the apparent grid purge and were left intact on her page, showcasing her ornate gown and cathedral-length veil. Like her wedding photos, snapshots of the moments after she gave birth, with her husband by her side, are no longer available, outlets reported. For his part, Sheikh Mana left up a wedding day carousel of photos of himself with his bride’s father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice president and prime minister and Dubai ruler.
On Thursday, Sheikh Mana shared a post by his seemingly estranged wife’s brother, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the newly appointed UAE minister of defense, to his Instagram Stories. He did not add any commentary.
The three declarations of divorce in her post evoke the spirit—if not the letter—of Islamic law: Triple repudiation, talaq thalatha, is a way that a Muslim man can divorce his wife, by repeating talaq, which means “divorce,” three times. However, it is considered reprehensible in modern times and has been banned entirely in many countries. Muslim women may also initiate divorce through a lengthier process called khula.
In a post six weeks ago, Sheikha Mahra shared a photo of herself and her infant daughter, adding text that said, “Just the two of us.” By contrast, when she announced her pregnancy, other outlets reported, she shared an image of an ultrasound, writing, “Just the three of us.”
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