Princess Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, has made claims aired yesterday on the BBC’s Panorama program that she is being held hostage by her powerful family. In a series of videos the 35yo filmed on a smuggled mobile phone, Latifa said she is being held in solitary confinement with no access to medical care or sunlight. Her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is one of the world’s richest heads of state. Human rights activists say he runs Dubai with an iron fist – and that’s why there was little surprise that Latifa disappeared after she attempted to flee Dubai in February 2018. Latifa has recently stopped sending the videos, and her supporters are worried. The United Nations yesterday said it would raise her case with authorities in the United Arab Emirates.

And in other royal news, Prince Philip is in hospital “as a precautionary measure” after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace said overnight. The 99yo’s illness is not COVID-related, reports say.