Prince Hamzah of Jordan Under House Arrest

According to BBC News, Prince Hamzah, son of the late King Hussein of Jordan, was placed under house arrest by the chief of general staff of the Jordanian armed forces. The prince recorded a video documenting his plight and the issues currently plaguing Jordan. He held the title of Crown Prince from 1999 to 2004. His title was rescinded by his half-brother, King Abdullah II. The king's son, Prince Hussein, was given the title in 2009.

His mother, Queen Noor, was the fourth wife of King Hussein. She is a graduate of Princeton University. 

Prince Hussein Is Named Crown Prince of Jordan

By Royal decree, Prince Hussein, the eldest son of King Abdullah II of Jordan, has been officially named Crown Prince of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan today.

The Royal title was previously held by Prince Hamzah, eldest son of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor. Hamzah was named Crown Prince by Abdullah II on February 7, 1999. It was later rescinded by the king on November 28, 2004.

Under Article 28 of the Jordanian constitution, King Abdullah II exercised his prerogative to name his eldest son the next Crown Prince.

Chapter Four, The Executive Power, Part One, The King and His Prerogatives

Article 28

(a) * The Royal title shall pass from the holder of the Throne to his eldest son, and to the eldest son of that son and in linear succession by a similar process thereafter. Should the eldest son die before the Throne devolves upon him, his eldest son shall inherit the Throne, despite the existence of brothers to the deceased son. The King may, however, select one of his brothers as heir apparent. In this event, title to the Throne shall pass to him from the holder of the Throne.

Prince Hussein is currently studying at King’s Academy in Manja, Jordan. He celebrated his fifteenth birthday on June 28th.

Photo: Petra

Queen Noor of Jordan Blessed with Third Grandchild

Princess Fahdah, wife of Prince Hashim, has given birth to a girl today. The baby’s name is Rayet Al Noor bint Hashim. Prince Hashim is the second son of Queen Noor and the late King Hussein of Jordan. This grandchild is Queen Noor’s third blessing.

Prince Hashim Celebrates His 27th Birthday

Prince Hashim bin Al-Hussein, son of Queen Noor and the late King Hussein, turned twenty-seven today. He is a 2000 graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy. For his high academic marks at Sandhurst, he was awarded the Prince Saud Bin Abdullah Prize. In 2005, the prince earned his undergraduate degree in Comparative Studies from Georgetown University. He married Fahdah, daughter of Sheikh Mohammad Ben Ibrahim Ben Suleiman Abu Niyyan. The couple was blessed with one daughter named Haalah who was born on April 6th, 2007.

Photo: Petra

Queen Noor Attends (RED) Auction

Queen Noor of Jordan, elegantly dressed in red, made an appearance at a contemporary art auction organized by Sotheby's and Manhattan's Gagosian Gallery last night. The (RED) Auction raised $42.58 million dollars. (RED) “was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver” as an “economic initiative designed to create awareness and a sustainable flow of money from the private sector into the Global Fund, to fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa.” Back in October, Noor’s royal counterpart, Queen Rania, supported Bobby Shriver at a (RED) launch in New York with Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES)

Queen Noor’s Quest To Controvert Stereotypes

Queen Noor of Jordan attended the First Forum in Madrid presented by the Alliance of Civilizations on Tuesday. Furthermore, she launched the Alliance of Civilizations Media Fund that would oppugn stereotypes which were “reinforced by popular culture and the media.” The fund’s objective would be to “support the production and distribution of films that entertain as well as enlighten” and “that will enhance the connections that already exist between different societies, but are seldom noted on screen and in popular culture.” The queen expostulated that stereotypes “can set the emotional and political stage for policies that result in chronic misunderstanding.”

Photo: REUTERS/Sergio Perez (SPAIN)

Seeds of Peace Honor Abdullah and Rania of Jordan

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan were honored by Seeds of Peace with the John Wallach Peacemaker Award for their efforts and commitment to world peace. Past recipients include the late King Hussein of Jordan and Egyptian First Lady Suzanne Mubarak. Some of the members on the advisory board for Seeds of Peace are Queen Noor of Jordan, George H.W. Bush and Shimon Peres.

When Rania collected the award, she said, “It is especially meaningful for me, as a citizen of Jordan, to be continuing along the path set by His Majesty the late King Hussein. Poised at the crossroads of East and West, and in the cradle of humanity’s great religions, Jordanians know that intercultural respect is not an option, it is an obligation. But even more, for us, it is an opportunity to become our own best selves, by opening our minds and hearts to the rich diversity of humankind. We are proud of our role in promoting peace - in our region, and beyond.”

“Seeds of Peace is both inspiring and humbling - for it shows us all the simple power of friendship to change the world. By giving young people the chance to get to know one another in person, instead of through the distorting lens of bitter legacies and conflict, Seeds of Peace is creating a new generation of thoughtful leaders who approach the world with open minds and empathetic eyes.”

Seeds of Peace was established in 1993.

Photo: Petra

Grandchildren for Queen Noor of Jordan

Queen Noor of Jordan, wife of the late King Hussein, has much to celebrate this month. On April 6th, her second son, Prince Hashim announced that his wife Princess Fahdah had given birth to a girl. The couple named her Haalah. The next blessing arrived on April 18th. The queen's eldest Prince Hamzah and his wife Princess Noor had a girl, too. The princess was named Haya.