MERIAM AL-KHAIFA, who eloped from her family and native bahrain to marry a US marine, is returning home to face the consequences of her actions. The royal has been granted asylum in the US but the decision to return could lead to her losing her right to stay.

In 1999, she walked away from her family and native bahrain to elope with Lance Corporal Jason Johnson, who was stationed in Bahrain as part of a counter-terrorism unit providing security for Americans living overseas. Her father threatened to kill her in the wake of her affair with a non-Muslim. Johnson helped her sneak into the United States, bringing her aboard a plane to Chicago wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap. She pleaded for asylum, saying that her family would kill her if she returned home.

The couple went on to live on the Camp Pendleton, a Marine base 40 miles north of San Diego, California. They were reportedly living in luxury, though she reportedly hated being the princess and preferred to work as a valet. They later fell heavily into the Las Vegas nightlife, resulting in a divorce. Johnson even appeared on an episode of Divorce Court sans Meriam to plead his case.

In May of this year, the INS gave Al-Khaifa a green card that allows her to stay permanently in the country – although she will have to go through the process again if she returns to Bahrain. The couple will also face a custody battle for their two children.