Princess Haya bint al-Hussein with her husband at Royal Ascot in 2010. She failed to appear at this year’s event

The younger wife of the ruler of Dubai, the billionaire race horse owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is believed to be staying in a town house near Kensington Palace after fleeing her marriage.

Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, 45, has not been seen in public for weeks. One half of one of the sporting world’s most celebrated couples, she failed to appear at Royal Ascot last month with her husband.

Since then the Middle East has been flooded with reports that the two have fallen out and that the princess took their children, aged 11 and seven, first to Germany and then to Britain. There were reports yesterday that Princess Haya was gearing up for a legal battle in Britain.

The princess is close to the Queen through their shared love of horses MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY IMAGES

She is thought to be