Critics at Large | The New Yorker

From In the Dark: The Runaway Princesses

Jan 30, 2024

Heidi Blake, a New Yorker staff writer, joins Madeleine Baran in the podcast to tell the story of the Dubai ruler's runaway princesses. The podcast explores the luxurious lives of the women in Sheikh Mohammed's family, their attempts to escape, and the astonishing courage and cruelty behind palace walls.

14:07

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Episode guests

Heidi Blake

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Quick takeaways

The podcast explores the story of Princess Latifah and the attempts made by women in Sheikh Mohammed's family to escape his control.

The podcast highlights Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum's position as the absolute ruler of Dubai and his vast wealth and influence.

Deep dives

The Runaway Princesses: Escaping Dubai's Royal Family

The podcast explores the story of Princess Latifah, a member of Dubai's royal family, who secretly planned to escape from Dubai using an inflatable dinghy, jet skis, and a yacht. The episode delves into Latifah's video message and the mystery surrounding her whereabouts. It also raises questions about the involvement of her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, in the alleged abuses and attempts by women in his family to escape his control.

Introduction

2min

Investigating Dubai's Royal Family

5min

The Vision and Influence of Sheikh Mohammed Ben Rashid Amat tomb

3min

Investigating Power and Exploitation

5min

The wives and daughters of Dubai’s ruler live in unbelievable luxury. So why do the women in Sheikh Mohammed’s family keep trying to run away? The New Yorker staff writer Heidi Blake joins In the Dark’s Madeleine Baran to tell the story of the royal women who risked everything to flee the brutality of one of the world’s most powerful men. In four episodes, drawing on thousands of pages of secret correspondence and never-before-heard audio recordings, “The Runaway Princesses” takes listeners behind palace walls, revealing a story of astonishing courage and cruelty.

“The Runaway Princesses” is a four-part narrative series from In the Dark and The New Yorker. To keep listening, follow In the Dark wherever you get your podcasts or via this link https://link.chtbl.com/itd_f

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Critics at Large | The New Yorker

From In the Dark: The Runaway Princesses

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Runaway Princesses: Escaping Dubai's Royal Family

Dubai's Ruling Family and Its Connections

Investigating Allegations and Power Dynamics

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts