Jordan is currently ruled by the House of Hashim, with King Abdullah II at its helm, but despite the House only ruling the middle-eastern country since 1921, it can trace parts of its dynasty all the way back to 497 AD.
The current royal family of Jordan was founded by King Hussein in 1908 after gaining the support of the British Empire. The House spread into several different countries including Iraq, Syria and the former state of Hejaz.
The Jordanian royal family has several glamourous members from the radiant Queen Rania to the dashing Crown Prince and Hussein and his wife Princess Rajwa, with the couple welcoming their first child this year.
Read on for all you need to know about the House of Hashim…
Family tree
© HELLO!King Hussein
© BettmannBorn on 14 November 1935, Hussein became the King of Jordan on 11 August 1952 following the abdication of his father King Talal, who was reportedly suffering from schizophrenia. Despite this, Hussein wasn't enthroned until a year later with the royal only being 17 when he ascended to the throne.
Hussein had a difficult early life with his sister, Princess Asma, dying from pneumonia during his childhood, and he was with his grandfather, King Abdullah I, when he was assassinated by a Palestinian gunman. Hussein reportedly pursued the attacker, with a bullet having rebounded off of medals on his chest.
During his reign, Hussein dissolved parliamentary democracy in the country, although moves were made back towards the model in 1989. He was also the subject of several assassination attempts, including an attempted poisoning from his royal chef and an attempted bombing from people loyal to the United Arab Republic.
Hussein led his country through civil wars and other military campaigns, including Black September in 1970, which attempted to overthrow the monarchy, and the Yom Kippur War.
Hussein married on four separate occasions and overall welcomed 12 children. On 19 April 1955, he was married to lecturer Princess Dina, in an arranged marriage, however, they separated a year later before divorcing in 1957. The former couple welcomed daughter Princess Alia (b. 1956). He then married Antoinette Gardiner, who became Princess Muna, a secretary on the set of Lawrence of Arabia, on 25 May 1961. The couple welcomed four children: Prince Abdullah (b. 1962), Prince Faisal (b. 1963), Princess Aisha (b. 1968) and Princess Zein (b. 1968) before their divorce in 1972.
Hussein then married Queen Alia in 24 December 1972, three days after his divorce from Antoinette. The pair welcomed two children: Princess Haya (b. 1974) and Prince Ali (b. 1975) and in 1976 they adopted Abir Muhaisen. Alia died in a helicopter crash on 9 February 1977. Hussein's final wife was Queen Noor Al-Hussein, with the pair marrying on 15 June 1978. The couple welcomed four children: Prince Hamzah (b. 1980), Prince Hashim (b. 1981), Princess Iman (b. 1983) and Princess Raiyah (b. 1986).
Hussein had an affair with American actress Susan Cabot, with the pair welcoming a son, Timothy. Susan and Timothy were supported through the Jordanian royal purse for several years. On 10 December 1986, Timothy beat Susan to death, claiming she attacked him in a mental state. He was sentenced to jail and died in 2003.
The royal was known to be a heavy smoker and in 1998, he was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, where he was eventually diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In 1999, he was forced to stay in London when he became too frail to travel and upon his eventual return to Jordan, he named his eldest son, Abdullah, to be his successor.
On 25 January 1999, he returned to the United States with a fever and underwent a bone marrow transplant on 2 February. The treatment failed and Hussein's organs began to fail. Upon his request, he was flown back to Jordan and arrived on 4 February in a coma. He died three days later on 7 February 1999 at the age of 63.
Princess Muna
© Hulton ArchiveBorn as Antoinette Gardner on 25 April 1941, she changed her name to Muna upon marrying King Hussein in 1961. The couple welcomed four children: Abdullah, Faisal, Aisha and Zein, with Abdullah succeeding his father to the throne in 1999. Despite her divorce from the monarch in 1972, Muna continues to live in Jordan, having founded the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing.
Princess Alia
© Karl Schoendorfer/ShutterstockBorn on 13 February 1956, Princess Alia is the eldest child of King Hussein and the only child he shares with Princess Dina. As the Jordanian line of succession is governed by agnatic primogeniture royals, which means women can't inherit the throne, Alia was never in the line of succession.
Alia is known to enjoy sports and is a black belt in taekwondo and a keen equestrian, being the director of the Royal Stables of Jordan. The royal has also worked as a registrar and artist with the British School of Archaeology.
On 12 February 1977, Alia married Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, with the pair welcoming their son Hussein on 12 February 1981. Alia and Nasser divorced in 1988 and she later married Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh on 30 July 1988. The duo welcomed sons Talal (b. 1989) and Abdul (b. 1992).
King Abdullah II
© Max Mumby/IndigoBorn on 30 January 1962, King Abdullah II ascended to the throne following the death of his father on 7 February 1999. He is the oldest child of King Hussein and his second wife, Princess Muna. Despite being the oldest male heir upon his birth, Hussein actually appointed his younger brother, Prince Hassan as his heir apparent due to the young age of Abdullah; Abdullah was named as his father's successor in 1999.
Abdullah has been an active monarch and at the time of his enthronement, Jordan was facing an economic crisis due to the Gulf War and wider regional conflicts. His personal efforts increased aid from the United States and Arab states, and he also helped spearhead efforts to defuse political violence in Israel and Palestine to boost tourism in his country.
In January 1993, Abdullah met Rania Al-Yassin at a dinner party and five months later, the pair walked down the aisle. The pair have welcomed four children: Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
Abdullah enjoys high personal rankings among the Jordanian people, steering his country through wider conflicts including the 2014 Syrian civil war and the fight against ISIS. In 2013, he was filmed helping a civilian when their car got snuck in snow, and he has also had a non-speaking part in a 1996 episode of Star Trek.
Queen Rania
© NBCBorn as Rania Al-Yassin on 31 August 1970, Rania married King Abdullah II after meeting him at a dinner party in 1993 and was named as Queen of Jordan a month after her husband's accession to the throne. The couple have welcomed four children: Hussein, Iman, Salma and Hashem.
Education holds a special place in Rania's heart and she regularly champions initiatives around the sector, including a fund to refurbish 500 schools in Jordan and the launching of an interactive museum for children. Rania is also a member of UNICEF and UNGEI and regularly comments on geo-politics, aiming to create cross-cultural dialogue to improve relations.
Outside of her royal work, Rania has also authored four children's books, including one on the life of the former King and another, The Sandwich Swap, which topped The New York Times Bestseller's list for children's fiction.
Prince Faisal
© Jordan PixBorn on 11 October 1963, Prince Faisal is the younger brother of King Abdullah II and is third in line to the throne. Following his education, Faisal joined the military serving in the Royal Jordanian Air Force and trained with the RAF.
Faisal currently heads Generation For Peace, which he founded in 2007, which campaigns for peacemaking efforts. The royal has also acted as a regent for his older brother when his royal duties have taken him out of the country.
On 9 August 1987, Faisal married Princess Alia, the daughter of the founder of Royal Jordanian Airlines and the pair welcomed four children: Princess Ayah (b. 1990), Prince Omar (b. 1993) and twins Princess Sara and Princess Aisha (b. 1997). The couple's only son, Omar, is sixth in line to the throne. Faisal and Alia divorced in 2008.
On 24 May 2010, Faisal married Sara Bassam Qabbani, however they divorced on 14 September 2013 without welcoming any children. On 4 January 2014, the royal married radio presenter Zeina Lubbadeh and the pair have welcomed sons Prince Abdullah (b. 2016) and Prince Muhammad (b. 2017), who are fifth and sixth in line to the throne respectively.
Princess Aisha
© David Hartley David Hartley/ShutterstockBorn on 23 April 1968, Princess Aisha is the third child of King Hussein and Princess Muna and twin sister of Princess Zein. Like her older brother, she pursued a career in the military following her education, which mostly took place in the United States, becoming the first woman in the middle-east to earn her parachutist wings. She currently works at the Jordanian embassy in the United States.
In 1990, Aisha walked down the aisle with Zeid Sa'adedine Juma and the pair welcomed two children: son Aoun (b. 1992) and daughter Muna (b. 1996). The pair eventually divorced and on 27 January 2016, she married businessman Ashraf Banayoti, but the pair split just six months later.
Princess Zein
© Balkis Press/ABACA/ShutterstockBorn on 23 April 1968, Princess Zein is the youngest child of King Hussein and Princess Muna and the twin sister of Princess Aisha. During her education, Zein excelled in sports and captained the volleyball team. Humanitarian issues have been the focus of the royal and she runs the orphanage Dar Al Bir.
On 3 August 1989, Zein married Sayyid Majdi Al-Saleh and the pair have welcomed son Ja'afar (b. 1990) and daughter Jumana. The couple also adopted daughter Tahani.
Princess Haya
© Chris J RatcliffeBorn on 3 May 1974, Princess Haya is the eldest child of King Hussein and Queen Alia. Haya graduated from Oxford with a BA in philosophy, politics and economics. Like many other royals, equestrianism has been a huge interest for the royal and she represented her homeland in the showjumping event at the 2000 Olympic Games and became the only woman to win a medal at the Pan-Arab Equestrian Games.
The royal plays an active part in attempting to combat world hunger, and has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's World Food Programme and founded Tkiyet Um Ali, an NGO dedicated to combatting hunger in her home country.
On 10 April 2004, Haya became the second wife of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who would become the ruler of the UAE in 2006. The pair welcomed daughter Al Jalila in 2007 and son Zayed in 2012, but in 2019 the Sheikh initiated divorce proceedings against Haya, on the 20th anniversary of her father's death.
Haya left the country with her two children on 15 April 2019 after two of her stepchildren were transported back to the UAE. On 39 July 2019, the Sheikh initiated court proceedings in the UK High Court demanding the return of his children to their homeland. Following a high-profile case, which ruled, on the balance of probabilities, that the Sheikh had previously abducted two of his children and had his agents attempt to hack Haya's phone, the princess was given sole custody of their children.
Prince Ali
© Francois NelBorn on 23 December 1975, Prince Ali is the youngest child of King Hussein and Queen Ali and is currently seventh in line to the throne. The prince has had a keen interest in sports and currently serves as a vice-chairman of FIFA, initially standing to be the sporting body's chairman following the resignation of Sepp Blatter.
On 7 September 2004, Ali married Rym Brahimi, the daughter of a senior Algerian politician and the pair have welcomed two children: Princess Jalila and Prince Abdullah, the latter is the only child in line to the throne and is currently in eighth place.
Hamzah bin Hussein
© Salah MalkawiBorn on 29 March 1980, Hamzah bin Hussein is the eldest child of King Hussein and his fourth wife, Queen Noor and is currently ninth in line to the throne. Hamzah used to be the Crown Prince of Jordan after King Hussein told Abdullah it was his wish his son would not be succeeded by their own son.
Abdullah obeyed his father's wishes, but stripped Hamzah of the role on 28 November 2004, saying: "Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake."
Relations have since soured and in 2021, Hamzah released a video claiming he was under house arrest, with his brother confirming the move a year later. In 2022, Hamzah also relinquished his title of 'Prince' claiming his "personal convictions" were not in line with the throne.
On 27 May 2004, Hamzah married Princess Noor, and had a daughter, Princess Haya, however the couple divorced on 9 September 2009. On 12 January 2012, Hamzah married for the second time with Basmah Hamzah. The couple have welcomed six children: Princess Zein (b. 2012), Princess Noor (b. 2014), Princess Badiya (b. 2016), Princess Nafisa (b. 2018), Prince Hussein (b. 2019) and Prince Muhammad (b. 2022). His sons are tenth and eleventh in line to the throne respectively.
Prince Hashim
© Salah MalkawiBorn on 10 June 1981, Prince Hashim is the second child of King Hussein and his fourth wife, Queen Noor and he is currently tweflth in line to the throne. Following his education, Hashim joined the army, rising to the rank of captain.
On 15 April 2006, Hashim walked down the aisle with Fahdah Mohammed Abunayyan. The pair have welcomed five children: Princess Haalah (b. 2007), Princess Rayet (b. 2008), Princess Fatima (b. 2011), Prince Hussein (b. 2015) and Prince Mohammad (b. 2019). His sons are thirteenthand fourteenth in line to the throne respectively.
Princess Iman
© David Hartley/ShutterstockBorn on 24 April 1983, Princess Iman is the third child of King Hussein and his fourth wife, Queen Noor. Iman studied at the American University in Washington D.C., graduating with a degree in sociology. On 22 March 2013, Iman married businessman Zaid Azmi Mirza, and they welcomed a son, Omar, on 7 October 2014, before the pair divorced in 2017.
Princess Raiyah
© Junko KimuraBorn on 9 February 1986, Princess Raiyah is the youngest child of King Hussein and his fourth wife, Queen Noor, and the youngest child of Hussein overall. Raiyah has cultural interests in Japan and lived in the country for three years and obtained a postgraduate degree in Japanese literature. The royal is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
On 7 July 2020, she married British journalist Ned Donovan, who is the grandson of author Roald Dahl and in 2023, she became a Dame in the Order of St John.
Crown Prince Hussein
© Anna MoneymakerBorn on 28 June 1994, Crown Prince Hussein is the heir apparent to the Jordanian throne and the oldest child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania; he is named after his grandfather. Hussein was not originally supposed to be the heir apparent, with his father, Abdullah, not named as King Hussein's successor until shortly before his death. Abdullah initially followed his father's wishes in not naming his own son as heir apparent, giving it to his younger brother, Hamzah, before stripping him of the role in 2004. Hussein became heir apparent after his uncle's loss of the role, and a royal decree made it official on 2 July 2009.
Hussein has acted as a regent for his father and currently chairs the Crown Prince Foundation, which promotes initiatives in the science and humanitarian sectors. The royal has also performed diplomatic roles, like his father and grandfather, and has even chaired a UN Security Council.
On 1 June 2023, Hussein married Saudi citizen Princess Rajwa in a glamorous wedding that saw British royals including Prince William, Princess Kate and Princess Beatrice in attendance – Hussein and William enjoy a close friendship. The royal couple welcomed their first child, Princess Iman on 3 August 2024.
Princess Rajwa
© HandoutBorn as Rajwa Al Saif on 28 April 1994, the royal met her future husband through a mutual friend after growing up in Saudi Arabia. Before becoming a royal, Rajwa was studying as an architect. The royal has been seen at her husband's side since their marriage carrying out several engagements both at home and abroad.
On 3 August, she welcomed her first child, Princess Iman, with Hussein.
Princess Iman
© Royal Hashemite Court/Action Press/ShutterstockBorn on 27 September 1996, Princess Iman is the second child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania. On 12 March 2023, the royal married businessman Jameel Alexander Thermiótis.
Princess Salma
© HandoutBorn on 26 September 2000, Princess Salma is the third child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania, and like her older sister is not in line to the throne. Although she graduated with a degree in archeology from the University of Southern California, Salma serves in the Jordanian army. In 2020, Salma made history as the firs female jet pilot in the Jordanian Air Force.
Prince Hashem
© Carlos AlvarezBorn on 30 January 2005, Prince Hashem is the youngest child of King Abdullah and Queen Rania and is second in line to the throne. Although Hashem serves in the Jordanian military as a second lieutenant, he is also pursuing studies at Georgetown University in the United States.
Princess Iman
© Queen RaniaBorn on 3 August 2024, Princess Iman is the first child of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa. Announcing her birth, a statement read: "The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein were blessed, on 3 August 2024, with a baby girl they named Iman."
Line of succession
- Crown Prince Hussein
- Prince Hashem
- Prince Faisal
- Prince Omar
- Prince Abdullah
- Prince Muhammad
- Prince Ali
- Prince Abdullah
- Hamzah bin Hussein
- Prince Hussein
- Prince Muhammad
- Prince Hashim
- Prince Hussein
- Prince Mohammad
