Queen Rania of Jordan has taken to her official Instagram with some beautiful and emotional photographs ahead of her son’s wedding.
Crown Prince Hussein, 28, is Rania’s eldest child and the heir to his father King Abdullah’s throne. He will marry his longterm love Rajwa Al Saif, a Saudi architect, on 1 June in a beautiful ceremony at the Zahran Palace in Amman.
His nuptials will come less than three months after the marriage of his younger sister, Princess Iman, who tied the knot with Jameel Alexander "Jimmy" Thermiótis on 12 March. Take a look back at their special day in the video below...
With just nine days to go until her son’s big day, Rania shared some gorgeous new photos showing her celebrating with bride-to-be Rajwa at her traditional pre-wedding henna party. The happy event was held on Monday evening at the Royal Hashemite Court’s Madareb Bani Hashem.
In one image, the two women can be seen warmly embracing, a big smile on Rajwa’s face, while in another they can be seen walking together, hand in hand.
© Royal Hashemite CourtA third image shows the Queen delivering a moving speech, with emotional Rajwa seen dabbing her eyes with a napkin.
© Royal Hashemite CourtWelcoming her guests, Queen Rania said, “I’m so happy that you could all be here to celebrate with us. Today is a special day for us, and to our entire Jordanian family: Our joy is one and the same… near or far, you are all in our hearts today.”
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Her Majesty explained that like any mother, she had always dreamed of Crown Prince Al Hussein’s wedding. “Al Hussein is your son as much as he is mine – you are his family and this is your celebration,” she added.
© Royal Hashemite CourtSharing a few words about her future daughter-in-law, the Queen described Miss Rajwa as “the sweetest and most beautiful bride-to-be”, adding that she is as precious to her as her daughters Princesses Iman and Salma.
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“I’ll never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him,” Rania reflected, before wishing the couple a blessed and happy future. “May you always be each other’s source of happiness and support,” she said.
© Royal Hashemite CourtThe guest list for the upcoming wedding is esteemed with a large number of royals from around the world expected to attend.
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Among those who have confirmed their attendance are Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and Princess Hisakoa and Princess Tsuguko of Japan.
© Royal Hashemite CourtJust recently, the Queen of Malaysia, Queen Azizah, revealed that she would also be at the service with her husband – and let slip the dress code on the day.
She denied ongoing rumours it is a white tie event, revealing guests have been asked to wear black tie, long dresses - but no tiaras.
© Royal Hashemite CourtIt’s not yet known if any of the British royals will be attendance, however, the Prince of Wales and the Crown Prince are known to be friends with Hussein hosting William during a tour of the Middle East in 2018.
© Royal Hashemite CourtHussein invited the Prince to his home so that the dad-of-three could watch England play in the 2018 World Cup; the British royal had missed the live game due to prior engagements, but the pair watched a taped recording.
© Royal Hashemite CourtWilliam also shares a close bond with Hussein's mother, Queen Rania, as she is a council member for the Earthshot Prize.
Hussein’s engagement to Rajwa was announced in August last year, with the proposal taking place at the home of Rajwa's father in Riyadh, with members of both families were in attendance.
© Photo: InstagramQueen Rania was delighted by the news, taking to Instagram to pen a heartfelt message to the newly engaged couple.
"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," she wrote, later adding: "Excited to welcome my third daughter, Al Hussein’s bride-to-be, Rajwa, to the family! We’re so happy for you both."
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