They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and the daughter of the ruler of Dubai made this point clear when she abruptly announced her divorce from her husband of just over one year, two months after she gave birth to her daughter, the couple's first child.
In an Instagram post this week, Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 30, revealed unequivocally that she was ending her marriage to husband Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum.
"Dear Husband, As you are occupied by other companions, I hereby declare our divorce, I divorce you, I divorce you, and I Divorce You," she wrote in white letters against a stark black background, notably using title caps for the final decree. She signed off the post cordially enough: "Take care. Your ex-wife."
By declaring her divorce three times, Sheikha Mahra was evoking the Islamic practice known as triple talaq, or "instant divorce," which has been traditionally reserved for husband's wanting to quickly divorce their wives. In many countries, triple talaq has been the subject of controversy and debate due to issues of justice, gender equality, human rights and secularism. It also also been banned in many countries, with India ruling it unconstitutional in 2017.
It's more unusual for women to employ the practice, but considering that the sheikha is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights who graduated from a London university in 2023, it seems to track.
Though there was initial speculation that Sheikha Mahra's account had been hacked, it didn't take users long to notice that all traces of her now ex-husband had been scrubbed from her account, and vice versa. It also shed new light on a post from six weeks prior, in which she posted a photo of herself with her newborn baby, captioning the post, "Just the two of us," between two double pink heart emojis
At any rate, in the wake of the princess's announcement, many commented to show their support. "I think many people aren’t seeing the value of her saying it three times but it adds power to her statement," wrote one commenter. "It means she is 1000000 percent done."
"I find it empowering when a woman recognizes her worth and confidently stands her ground," commented another user, while yet another simply chimed in: "Queen."
Sheikha Mahra and Sheikh Mana wed in a lavish ceremony in April 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Center.
#NEW Congratulations to Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, daughter of the Ruler of Dubai & Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE, and Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid who got married last Sunday at the Dubai World Trade Center! ????????
— CoutureAndRoyals (@CoutureRoyals) June 10, 2023
She wore a gown by Ezra Couture pic.twitter.com/TgbPNmPEqi
So far, there has been no official comment from the House of Maktoum, the royal family of Dubai which Sheikha Mahra hails from.
