Syria's First Lady Asma al-Assad, once called "rose in the desert" and known for her beauty and style, was recently revealed as "the real dictator" of the civil war-ridden nation.

Back in February 2011, Vogue described Asma "a rise in the desert," and "a rare combination: a thin, long-limbed beauty with a trained analytic mind who dresses with cunning understatement," called as “the element of light in a country full of shadow zones."

But the shadow seems to have overtaken her, turning her into the center of controversy.

Thousands of personal emails between Syria's president Bashar al-Assad and his wife were uncovered by the Guardian, revealing a ruthless shopping spree of Asma.

Amidst national crisis costing thousands of lives, Asma spent tens of thousands of pounds on diamond jewelry, chandelier lighting and Christian Louboutin shoes and Chanel dresses.

"I am absolutely clueless when it comes to fine jewellery,’ the 36-year old said in an email while waiting for a custom-made delivery of gold, onyx and diamond-encrusted necklaces from Paris.
Other emails revealed her perchase of British designer John Lewis, Parisian jewelry, Venetian glass from Harrods and furniture from Dubai.

"I am the real dictator, he has no choice," the British-born First Lady joked in an email to her friend in December, 2011.

Asma, former investment banker had perviously maintained her image of a liberal-minded woman. 

"People tend to see Syria as artifacts and history," she told Vogue last year.
"For us it's about the accumulation of cultures, traditions, values, customs. It's the difference between hardware and software: the artifacts are the hardware, but the software makes all the difference-the customs and the spirit of openness. We have to make sure that we don't lose that."

"You have to excuse me, but I'm a banker-that brand essence," she said.

Her positive image crumbled as her husband responded to anti-government rebellion with extreme violence in 2011.

The personal emails revealed First Lady's real self.
Asma praised her husband upon a speech in January that was "very strong, no more messing around."
"If we are strong together, we will overcome this together...I love you..." she wrote to her husband in December, according to Reuters.

If she stood by her man for evil, she cannot help but do so for sanctions.

Joining her husband and over 100 Syrians, Asma will be added to a European Union sanctions blacklist this Friday, according to The Daily Telegraph. 

Her assets and bank accounts in EU member states will be frozen, and she is likely to be subject to an EU travel ban.