King Abdullah might be the monarch of Jordan, but he’s pretty cool when you look at his many interests. He is the husband of the fabulous Queen Rania and father of four children; Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman (who did NOT lose her title upon marriage), Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
In this post, we’ll review five things you might not have known about King Abdullah.
1. King Abdullah Is Half-British
What people might not know about King Abdullah is that he is half-British. His mother, Princess Muna, is British. She was born Toni Avril Gardiner and was the second of the late King Hussein’s four wives.
2. Trekkie
King Abdullah is a massive fan of the sci-fi franchise Star Trek and even appeared in a non-speaking role in the Star Trek Voyager episode, Investigations, which aired in 1996.
3. Is Feuding With His Half-Brother
Remember a while ago when we mentioned a Jordanian royal family feud? Well, King Abdullah has a role in it, but not intentionally. Upon his father, King Hussein’s death, King Abdullah anointed his younger half-brother, Prince Hamzah, as the Crown Prince on his father’s recommendation before he died. However, in 2009, he replaced Hamzah with his son, Hussein.
Prince Hamzah was stripped of the Crown Prince title, much to the dismay of his mother, Queen Noor, King Hussein’s widow and fourth wife, in 2004. This may be why much of Queen Noor’s family was absent at Crown Prince Hussein’s wedding on 1 June.
The issues continue as Hamzah is reportedly on house arrest after attempting to usurp the government and attempting to destabilise the Kingdom of Jordan.
4. Daredevil
King Abdullah loves adventure activities such as motorbiking and skydiving, which he had to give up when he became King in 1999.
5. Was Crown Prince Twice
In Jordan, the law decrees that the King’s eldest son automatically becomes Crown Prince upon birth unless they choose a brother instead. King Abdullah was Crown Prince twice.
The first time was for the first three years of his life. The second time was two weeks before King Hussein’s death.
