Secret Weddings…

She is the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan. He is Ned Donovan, a British journalist, nephew of writer Roald Dahl, former screenwriter and aviator—and best known to the tabloids for his children’s novels. Rumor has it that the two are quietly planning a wedding. The date remains a closely guarded secret, but the ceremony is said to take place in Amman. It’s a welcome respite for the Royal Court, which only last July celebrated the twenty-sixth anniversary of Queen Rania and her consort. Their joy was further amplified on October 21 by the birth of Prince Hashim, the monarch’s half-brother and his father’s fifth child.

Raiyah bint Al Hussein is thirty-three—that’s the bride-to-be’s age. She’s the youngest daughter of former Queen Noor and King Hussein I. Ned, too, is said to boast distinguished lineage: he’s the son of model Tessa Dahl, famed for her many appearances in gossip magazines. Rumored past flings include director Brian De Palma, singer Bryan Ferry and actor Peter Sellers. Now this up-and-coming twenty-five-year-old is officially engaged, complete with a Royal Court press release and the inevitable tweet. After all, both have long preferred to keep a low profile.

They’re believed to have met only months ago through mutual friends, and their romance has mostly been long-distance. Both are intent on forging impressive careers. Ned, who has lived in India for several years, despite his youth has already contributed to the BBC, The Times and the Spectator. Raiyah, an expert in Japanese politics and history, earned her degree at Edinburgh, completed a master’s at Columbia University in New York, and is now set to finish her doctorate at UCLA.

A ray of sunshine in the form of a wedding announcement arrives just in time to shift attention from the impending divorce of Princess Haya Bint al-Hussein and the Emir of Dubai. The forty-five-year-old princess, married in 2004 to sixty-nine-year-old Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, fled to London with her two children, ages eleven and seven. The emir has since asserted his custody rights, while Haya has accused him of abuse and mistreatment. Their clash is now before the High Court in London, a legal battle that has placed both royal families in genuine embarrassment and will likely influence the choice of date for the upcoming wedding.

The fugitive princess, a suitcase stuffed with cash, an intricate diplomatic mystery—and the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, enraged and poised for revenge, airing his fury on social media. All the makings of a gossip-mongers’ feast. Yet these are rumors of the highest pedigree. Seeking clarity aren’t just tabloid hawks, but also ministers, corporate figures, diplomats and activists.

Insiders sensed trouble long ago: the princess hadn’t made a public appearance in six months. After she skipped Royal Ascot—the year’s most anticipated social sporting event in London—the picture became unmistakably clear. Some whisper of infidelity: that Haya abandoned the marital home for her bodyguard, infantryman Russell Flowers. True or not, the sheikh’s wrath soon went public: “Some mistakes are called betrayal, and you have transgressed and betrayed…,” the mogul posted.

This scandal threatens to spread like wildfire and carry consequences far beyond the original incident. It’s worth remembering that the UK and UAE enjoy close diplomatic ties, bolstered by substantial commercial interests. For now, the British Foreign Office has labeled it a private matter. But once the case reaches its core, issues such as women’s rights are certain to stir up a storm that will be difficult to contain.