Crown Prince Hussein’s royal wedding fuels excitement in Jordan

This week, Jordan buzzes with anticipation for the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein, a Sandhurst-educated 28-year-old, and Rajwa Alseif, a 29-year-old US-educated architect. The impending nuptials at Zahran Palace – the historical venue for the weddings of King Abdullah II and the late King Hussein – hold immense significance for the Kingdom.

Prince Hussein’s wedding to Alseif is slated for Thursday and expected to uphold grand traditions of past ceremonies. Notably, this includes a royal motorcade of red Land Rovers that will escort the newlyweds through the heart of Amman, the capital city, post-ceremony.

High-profile attendees from around the globe are expected, with US First Lady Jill Biden and the King and Queen of the Netherlands already confirmed to be in attendance. Other aspects of the wedding, such as the comprehensive guest list and the details of the bride’s dress, remain under wraps, fuelling widespread anticipation.

The festivities began last week with a henna party in honour of Alseif, hosted by Queen Rania of Jordan and attended by hundreds of women. Moreover, thousands of Jordanians enjoyed a free concert featuring acclaimed Arab singers, including Egypt’s Tamer Hosny, adding to the nationwide jubilation.

Rajwa Alseif, the soon-to-be princess, hails from Saudi Arabia and holds an architecture degree from Syracuse University. Having lived and worked in Los Angeles, she is also the daughter of a founder of one of Saudi Arabia’s largest engineering firms, and her mother is a relative of King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

The groom, Crown Prince Hussein, has been the designated heir to the throne since 2009. A Georgetown University graduate with an international history degree, he later graduated from the British Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. As a captain in the Jordanian military, Prince Hussein boasts a following of over four million on Instagram.

Details about their relationship and initial meeting are yet to be revealed by palace officials, though their engagement was formally celebrated in a traditional Muslim ceremony in Riyadh in August 2022.

The royal wedding, amidst persistent economic difficulties, is viewed as a morale booster and a means of strengthening public support. As a prospective power couple in the Middle East, the union of Alseif and Hussein is expected to solidify ties between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, further establishing the latter as a regional power broker.

The impending wedding has triggered a wave of enthusiasm in Jordan, not seen since King Abdullah’s marriage to Queen Rania in 1993. This royal event offers a fresh chapter in the country’s history, amid the public rift between the King and his half-brother.

Born to a Palestinian family in Kuwait, Queen Rania previously worked in marketing before marrying Abdullah, who ascended the throne in 1999 following his father’s death. This historical context amplifies the significance of the upcoming royal wedding, as Jordan and its monarchy brace for a new era.

Image Credit: alhusseinjo / Instagram

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