Mohammed bin Salman: Spies and diplomats reveal inside story of the Saudi crown prince

Mohammed bin Salman , known simply by his initials MBS , had big plans for his kingdom.

He feared plotters within his own Saudi royal family could eventually move against him.

The 38-year-old prince is de facto in charge of the birthplace of Islam and the world’s biggest exporter of oil.

He is accused of human rights violations including the suppression of free speech.

MBS 's mother, Fahda , is a Bedouin tribeswoman and seen as the favourite of his father’s four wives.

Western diplomats believe the king has suffered for many years from a slow-onset form of vascular dementia; and MBS was the son he turned to for help.

The prince was apparently so impatient for his father to become king that in 2014 , he reportedly suggested killing the then-monarch Abdullah , his uncle.

MBS 's purchase of a famous painting in 2017 tells us much about how he thinks, and his willingness to be a risk-taker.

The Salvator Mundi remains the world’s most expensive work of art ever sold.

For almost seven years , ever since the auction, it has completely disappeared.