This sister of the king of Jordan hire was the former Olympian and high profile U.

N Ambassador unh become an icon for female empowerment in the Middle East.

But then fairy tile shattered from the outside.

Anything while they've got everything that you could ever imagine, but actually things that we take for granted, which is the most important thing that they haven't got.

Now the 45 year old princess, along with her two young Children, has fled to London, apparently trying to escape this'll.

Man husband, powerful billionaire ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Muhammed bin Rashid that so much luxury but no freedom feeding.

Yeah, no, no freedom.

And that is the basic freedom Marcus is.

Sabri is one of the very few people who understands what the secretive Dubai royal family is really like.

He knows because hey spent years living inside the palace that it was an enjoyable experience.

If I had stayed there or have been kept, I don't think I could have survived because I don't fit in.

I don't take their boxes.

Marcus, no member of Dubai's royal family, has spoken out like this before.

It's quite bright from you, Brave e.

I wouldn't call it brave, just just the right thing to do with all the second senses that are happening.

But the present plane, as you'll see tonight, privilege and wealth don't guarantee happiness.

And the latest, probably permanent departure from Dubai by a high ranking member of the royal family is actually not that surprising.

Princess Higher and her Children are holed up here in the family's $150 million mansion, and security is ever present there on one side of the road, and Kensington Palace is on the other.

But it's a fitting Hardaway for this princess who's close friends with queen and powerful figures brought around the world I got here is an extraordinary story.

Escaping from Dubai under the cover of darkness on a private jet to Germany, reportedly assisted by foreign diplomats before eventually seeking refuge here in London, Al Hussein is said to be in fear for her life.

While it's obvious the princess and the Shaikh have had a massive blow up, leaving her husband without warning and taking $56 million with her they're falling out is about to get a whole lot more volatile.

He's requested asylum and filed for divorce.

Next week, a British court will begin hearing a bitter custody battle over the couple's two Children, 11 year old daughter Julia and seven year old son Zay.

It.

We're both enormously rich.

Andi.

He is worth about five billion and his head of a feudal kingdom in effect on Dhe.

She, of course, is a Royal Jordanian family, about Australian Geoffrey Robertson, his prominent barrister in London.

And he says it could be a fireworks in custody battles of this kind.

The judge has to display the wisdom of Solomon defined sometimes that in high profile cases like this fear for the clients.

Ego is big thing.

Where there is no settlement, ego is usually the cause.

And sometimes, of course, most massive ego couldn't fall flat on its face.

That's the danger of going head, and I like to welcome.

This dispute might look like a straightforward marriage breakdown orbit one involving large egos and obscene wealth.

It is actually much murkier than that.

At the center of this drama is why Princess, higher decided to run away from Dubai and her husband in the first place.

Thea upcoming court case has the potential to really expose what goes on inside that family.

I think it does not just that family, but it's It's a huge diplomatic problem watching the case closely in London, he is another human rights lawyer, David Haig.

What does this say about the way that Sheikh Mohammed is running that family?

We are very worried about Princess Hi.

He believes Princess Higher may have left to buy after finally learning the truth about one of shape.

Mohammed's older daughters, 33 year old Princess Latifah, in particular with Latifah's case.

People look at this and that that could be true.

And now you've got a situation where there's gonna be in the English court looking at whether or not it's appropriate to return to Children to the father when their mother is saying their life is at risk on the teeth is evidence is now very, very important coming up.

If you are watching this with you, it's not such a thing.

What happened to Princess Latifah?

She was so fed up with her life and her dramatic attempt to a Skype divide.

It sounded like gunshots ahead.

Broad was pulling out of my head and how it could be the reason behind one of the biggest royal divorces the world has ever seen Shamsher Latifah hire three princesses have all fled catch next on 60 minutes.

My name is pretty fun too.

I was born on December 5 1985.

Princess Latifah is the 33 year old daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, the ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Mohammed.

And I'm making this video because it could be the last with you I make.

Last year, Latifah tried to flee the Royal Palace, but before she did probably has a form of insurance.

She recorded this astonishing 38 minute video.

My father is the prime minister of you A and uh by in it she made serious allegations about her father, which, if true, could derail the shakes looming custody dispute with his estranged wife, Princess Hire, who herself has now fled to buy and is in hiding in London with the couple's two young Children.

My vision is to Dubai to be number one.

It's all my father cares about to see its reputation.

And if you are watching this video, it's not such a big thing.

Either I'm dead or I'm very, very, very bad situation.

Just like Princess.

Higher to outsiders Princess Latifah seemed to have it'll.

An adrenaline junkie who loved living the high life, but she kept a secret.

And it wasn't until she became friends with Tina Zhou Hainan that Latifah spoke about it, she said.

When she was a teenager, she tried to leave Dubai but was caught and then severely punished.

So in total, I was in prison for three years and four months.

It was, um, constant torture, constant torture.

Even when they weren't physically beating me up, it would torture me.

She basically had no freedom.

She was not allowed to have certain friends, even talked to certain family members.

Her life was just very restricted.

Latifah felt trapped and oppressed here in Dubai, so eventually she hatched an extraordinary escape plan with her best friend, Tina.

It was equal parts filmer in the Ways and James Bond at first fleeing by road to a man, then by boat and jet skates in India and finally flying to the United States, where the princess was going to seek political asylum.

The reward was freedom at last.

But if both women were caught, what the consequences would be dire.

She would often say this.

This is life or death for me.

She was willing to take the risk even if she would not make it.

To assist with her escape, Princess Latifur hired former French spy Herve Asia Bear.

After months of planning, Latifah launched her daring bid for freedom in February last year.

Her friend Tina was by her side for We got in the car were like This is it it's really happening We were hugging each other's and whatever happens, we're both doing this because we want to do it.

They drove to neighbouring Oman before facing the most dangerous part of this escape plot, a five hour trip by dingy and jet skis to international waters where surveys yacht, then a Strom Oh, was Whiting.

I saw a woman who knew what she was doing.

She was absolutely determined to get away from there.

They set a course for freedom Goa in India.

But on the second day of that voyage, Latifah made a foolish mistake.

She messaged her family to let them know that she'd escaped.

She didn't think there was any any trouble coming before they got to India.

Now she wasa wear off some trouble coming.

But imagine being living in a golden cage all your life.

When trouble did arrive, it arrived in force nearing India her They noticed his yacht was being tracked by air on dhe by sea at 11 p.m. On March, the fourth last year, it was righted by commanders.

There was a guy in front of me with a gun to my face.

Um, somebody got me by the back.

They handcuffed me.

When I was uncovered, A told me on the floor They mean, go ahead, Blood west going out of my head.

Amid the chaos, Tenor and Latifah were handcuffed and hold up to the boats Dick exchanging one last look before the princess was dragged off at gunpoint.

What was the look in her eyes?

At this stage?

It was full of fear, but she was still fighting.

She was not trying to give up.

Taken against her will, Princess Latifah was returned to Dubai.

Human rights lawyer David Haig led the chorus of international condemnation.

But for months he received in return was silence.

What do you think it might take for the world to actually step in here and say What is going on?

I think ultimately the only person to connect Latif ago because it is a dictatorship is a father.

Today, David Haig remains is angry about Sheikh Mohammed's iron rule, as he did when I met him a year ago, when 60 Minutes first reported on Latifah's disappearance.

But part of his anger is personal.

I was beaten severely.

There was sexual abuse as well, which is very difficult to talk about.

Still, David was the managing director of Leeds United Football Club in 2012 when it was taken over by a Dubai business.

But when a dispute erupted over finances, he flew to Dubai only to find himself locked up in jail on charges he would eventually be acquitted off.

So severe was what they did to me that when I was released, I spent six months in hospital recovering from the broken bones from a zealous the broken mine.

To help in the fight for Latifah's freedom, David has gathered a network of like minded supporters, and it now includes the princess's own cousin, who for the first time he's talking about life inside the palace.

Why have you decided to speak?

Because it was very hard for me to ignore it.

I couldn't sleep at night.

Ah, you know I have to do something.

I believe that everything that anybody does will help Latif.

I think that the adopted kids that they have there, unlike most men into by Marcus, is Sabri knows the hardships often faced by women in the royal family.

That's because he I used to be one of them.

You're Marcus now.

I have Who did you grow up as I grew up as Fatima?

Was it apparent to you from a very young age that boys were treated very differently to goes in Dubai?

Ah, yes, yes, Big time.

Yeah, and I think that's why I didn't last there like siblings really more than cousins.

Marcus, who transition toe life was a man 10 years ago, me and playing a video game says he shared a special bond with not only Latifah but also her sister, Sham Za, another Dubai princess who tried but filed to escape the royal family.

All I'm saying is that I made up my mind at the moment.

I have hope I have a goal, but to get there I have to sacrifice some of the things I have.

Shams obviously trusted you.

I mean, you're always toe confidante in those letters.

What did she say when she opened up that she would.

I tried to die, then carry on.

The life there from is very tough to talk about this because I feel I've let her down.

It was July 2000 and 18 year old Sham Za was holidaying at the family's $130 million country estate in Sorry in England.

She managed to escape.

The compound was free for several wakes before eventually being court and sent back to Dubai Jews in prison for eight years and then also not a visitor.

In the video Latifah recorded in the lead up to her own bid for freedom, she talked about her sister's treatment.

Right now she's she has a psychiatrist with her, and she's surrounded by nurses.

They watch her take her pills.

They make sure that she takes a lot of purpose thes these drugs to control her mind.

I don't know what they are, and, uh, so her life.

So you control.

While it's impossible to verify Princess Latifah's claims about her sister Marcus believes every single word.

Do you think the way that Sham Za was allegedly taken back to Dubai from the UK would be playing on Princess Hires?

Minou?

I hope so.

I hope there must be a reason why she left.

Hey, just shows you that we're not safe it wherever we go coming up, disturbing clues begin to emerge about the face of Princess Latifah.

What did you see when you looked at her?

I don't know.

She was dragged.

Despair and just how much more scandal can do by royal family.

Take.

His power is falling.

People are no longer scared of him as they once were.

That's next on 60 Minutes.

Something is not right in Dubai's privileged and wealthy royal family.

It began 19 years ago when the ruler shake Mohammed's daughter, Princess Shamsher, tried to flee but failed.

My name is last year.

Her sister, Princess Latifah, was similarly foiled in a bid for freedom.

If you are watching this video, it's not such a big thing.

Either I'm dead or I'm a very, very, very bad situation.

But then, just three weeks ago, one of the shakes wives, glamorous princess Higher, fled to London with her two young Children.

The $1,000,000,000 question is why I don't want to go any more deeply into it, she says.

For the for the protection off.

One of the biggest clues lies in an extraordinary radio interview Princess Hired gave in January under pressure to publicly explain what had happened to Latifa.

Higher, tried to tow the family line.

What's important to us the family is to ensure that she's all right.

She rejected any suggestion of ill treatment.

If I thought for a single second that any shred of truth I wouldn't put up with Princess Higher had invited former U.

N.

Human rights commissioner Mary Robinson to visit Latifa in Dubai, I dedicated my presidency to having a space for those who felt marginalized.