The government of Dubai has broken its silence on the case of its missing princess, saying she was safely back home and accused a former French spy of her kidnap.

Sheikha Latifa, the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, tried to escape the country in March after complaining she was effectively being held prisoner by her repressive father.

She fled across the border to Oman with the help of a friend, before boarding a boat to meet French national Hervé Jaubert, who had himself managed to successfully escape the Emirates in 2010.

The boat set sail for the Indian coast but was intercepted by three Indian and two Emirati warships - with Mr Jaubert claiming he and his crew were beaten by commandos before Latifa was whisked away.

Her social media accounts, where she liked to share pictures and videos of herself skydiving, were all shut down shortly after.