Mark your calendars: Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan will wed Rajwa Al Saif on June 1, just months after his sister Princess Iman tied the knot.
Jordan royal wedding: Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan will wed Rajwa Al Saif. Photo: Getty
All eyes were on the Jordanian royal family last week as Princess Iman married Jameel Alexander Thermiótis in a romantic ceremony attended by her parents, Queen Rania and King Abdullah II, and paternal grandmother, the British-born Princess Muna, among others.
While royal watchers will be disappointed to know the glamour of the day is behind them, they will not have long to wait for the next royal wedding hosted by the family. Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II and his fiancée, Rajwa Al Saif, will tie the knot on 1 June in a day that will perhaps be even more elegant than his sister’s.
Princess Salma, Prince Hashem, Rajwa Al Saif, Crown Prince Hussein and Queen Rania at the wedding. Photo: Getty
The couple, who became engaged in August last year in the bride-to-be’s home of Saudi Arabia, announced the date of their nuptials at the start of the year and will no doubt be completely occupied with all that goes into planning such an important day. The date holds sentimental value to the Crown Prince and his family as it is just days before the 30th wedding anniversary of his parents, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, who celebrate the milestone on June 10.
Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa looked utterly smitten as they sat in the front row of Princess Iman’s ceremony – perhaps half-thinking about what their own big day will be like. They could follow in the footsteps of Iman and opt for one of the Jordanian palaces as the venue, or they might choose one in Rajwa’s home country of Saudi Arabia.
Jordan’s royal wedding: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein and Ms Rajwa Al Saif. Photo: Courtesy of The Royal Hashemite Court
The news of their royal wedding date was shared by the royal court in a statement, reading: ‘The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that the wedding of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif will take place on 1 June 2023.
‘The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah on this occasion, and wishes His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif a lifetime of happiness.’
Crown Prince Hussein, 28, heir to the throne, proposed to his girlfriend at the home of Rajwa’s father, with the Crown Prince’s parents also in attendance. It came just weeks after his younger sister, Princess Iman, 26, announced her own impending nuptials to her Venezuelan venture capitalist beau, Jameel Alexander Thermiotis.
Proud mother Queen Rania was effusive about both betrothals, writing on Instagram about her son’s engagement: ‘I didn’t think it was possible to hold so much joy in my heart! Congratulations to my eldest Prince Hussein and his beautiful bride-to-be, Rajwa.’ Certainly she looked delighted to be spending time with her future daughter-in-law during the wedding celebrations, even choosing to arrive with her for Princess Iman’s pre-wedding Henna soirée. On her daughter’s engagement, she penned: ‘Congratulations my dearest Iman; your smile has always been a gift of love that I’ve cherished since the day you were born. I wish you and Jameel a life filled with love and laughter!’
Crown Prince Hussein with his sister, Princess Iman, on her wedding day. Photo:Getty
Despite being King Abdullah II’s eldest son, Prince Hussein did not grow up as heir to the throne. When Abdullah II became king, he named his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, as his heir. However, he removed Hamzah from the line of succession in 2004, before naming his son Hussein as the next Crown Prince in 2009.
Hussein gained a history degree from Georgetown University in the US in 2016, before graduating from Sandhurst in 2017, and is now a Captain in the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Prince Hussein and Princess Iman are the two eldest of King Abdullah and Queen Rania’s four children, with a younger brother, Prince Hashem, 17, and younger sister, Princess Salma, 22.
Originally published in Tatler.com.
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