Photo: Instagram.com/queenrania
Last week, the Royal Hashemite Court announced the engagement of Jordan’s princess, Iman bint Abdullah II to Jameel Alexander Thermiotis. And as one would expect, the news sparked joy throughout the region, with many well-wishers of the Jordan royal family now looking back at past weddings for a hint at what’s to come at the young couple’s nuptials.
The 25-year-old princess, who is now all set to marry New York financier Thermiotis, is the King and Queen’s eldest daughter. According to reports, Jameel planned a romantic proposal for Iman in the presence of both of their families. For those who don’t know about the groom-to-be, Jameel Alexander Thermiotis was born in Caracas with his roots embedded in a Greek family, and currently works as a managing partner at a venture capital firm in New York.
As the happy couple begins prepping for a dream wedding, we can’t help but reminisce over the other royal Jordanian weddings that have come before. Below, take a walk down memory lane with five wedding pictures featuring some of Jordan’s most-loved duos—including Princess Iman’s parents, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania.
2020: Princess Raiyah and Ned Donovan
Photo: Twitter.com
During the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Princess Raiyah, daughter of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor, married Roald Dahl’s grandson, Ned Donovan in an intimate July wedding ceremony. The couple was set to have an extravagant celebration, but their plans were put on halt due to the lockdowns in place at the time.
Donovan, much like his grandfather, was always inclined towards the literary arts and took a similar road as a freelance journalist. Also a contributor at The Spectator, New Statesman and The Telegraph, Donovan has great journalistic aspirations. He converted to Islam before his wedding with the Princess and is now known by the name Faris.
2004: Princess Noor and Prince Hamzah
Photo: Getty
Another not-so-long-ago wedding that took place within the royal Jordanian family was that of Prince Hamzah and Princess Noor, back in 2004. The couple were second cousins prior to their marriage, and had an unofficial ceremony in Al Baraka Palace, Ammam on August 29, 2003. The official wedding ceremony took place in the summer of 2004. Sadly, the couple parted ways in 2009.
1993: Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan
Photo: Instagram.com
King Abdullah II of Jordan was the King’s eldest son, and Crown Prince at the time of his wedding with Queen Rania. Theirs was a story right out of a fairy tale. The King first met HH Rania Al-Abdullah during a dinner party in 1993, and married her within the same year. Queen Rania was originally from Kuwait, born to Palestinian parents, and moved to Jordan for her job in Apple’s marketing department. As of today, the couple have four children together.
1978: Lisa Halaby and King Hussein I
Photo: Getty
This couple tied the knot with a vibrant June wedding in Zahran Palace, home to the Queen, and mother of King Hussein. In fact, the palace soon came to be known as the traditional site for Royal Jordanian weddings. While Lisa was originally born in the United States, her roots were in Syria. Coming from an affluent family, Lisa Halaby graduated from Princeton University. After their wedding, King Hussein gave Lisa an Arabic name, Noor al Hussein, which translates to ‘the light of Hussein.”
1955: Dina bint Abdul-Hamid and King Hussein
Photo: Getty
King Hussein married his first wife, Dina bint Abdul-Hamid, in April 1955. The couple had their first meeting when Dina was still finishing her degree at the University of Cambridge. After their wedding, Dina was announced as Queen of Jordan, and gave birth 10 months later to the King’s first child, Princess Alia. Unfortunately, the marriage ended with a divorce in 1959.
Read next: Everything You Need to Know About Jordan’s First Ever Opera House, AA Theatre
