Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein married Princess Rajwa in a ceremony attended by Arab and western royalty on Thursday that promoted the kingdom’s image as a bastion of stability in the Middle East.
After her marriage, Rajwa, 29, a Saudi citizen whose mother is a cousin of King Salman, was declared a Jordanian Princess by the royal court.
“I accept the marriage from her to myself, according to God’s book and the way of his Prophet,” the Crown Prince, 28, said during the ceremony at Zahran, a palace in an affluent part of Amman where his grandfather, King Hussein, married the first of four wives.
The wedding is a stepping stone in the grooming of the Crown Prince to one day succeed his father, King Abdullah II, who holds all significant power in the kingdom.
Prince Hussein’s parents, King Abdullah and Queen Rania, welcomed the Islamic ceremony’s 140 guests, which included royalty from around the world.
US President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, attended the wedding, along with her daughter Ashley, in an indication of the kingdom's close ties with Washington.
The UK’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were also present.
But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was widely expected to attend the wedding, did not come.
Saudi Arabia is the biggest Arab investor in aid-dependent Jordan and relations between the two countries have been improving, after differences over regional issues sharpened during former US president Donald Trump's term in office.
King Abdullah appointed Hussein as Crown Prince in 2009, after a rift with the king’s half- brother, Prince Hamzah. Official media have been portraying the wedding as a symbol of continuity in the Hashemite monarchy, which has ruled Jordan since its inception as a British protectorate in 1921.
In another symbol of family unity, Princess Rajwa – wearing an elegant long-sleeved Elie Saab dress – was walked down the aisle by the youngest of the Jordanian royal children, Prince Hashem.
Prince Hussein’s younger sister, Princess Salma, could be seen smoothing Princess Rajwa’s gown after she stepped from a 1968 Rolls-Royce Phantom V custom-made for the Crown Prince’s late great-grandmother.
The heir wore his military uniform and carried a gold-hilted sabre for the occasion, which was split between Zahran Palace and Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman’s west.
The couple travelled between the two in a grand convoy as thousands of Jordanians looked on. Still more attended viewing parties, the most spectacular of which took place in the capital’s Roman amphitheatre.
They were flanked by the Red Motorcade, a collection of eight red Land Rovers and 11 BMW motorbikes, as they waved from an open-top Land Rover Defender. Later in the procession, white horses replaced the vehicles.
Samir, a student who lives in the west of the city, said the whole experience was “nice” and he was impressed with the rhythm of the cars and motorcycles surrounding the couple's car.
“It was worth watching,” he said.
Streets cleared relatively quickly after the royal couple drove by, as some left to enjoy what was left of their national holiday or settle in to watch the rest of the festivities at home.
Excitement over the nuptials – Jordan’s biggest royal event in decades – had been building in the capital, with banners featuring Prince Hussein and his beaming bride adorning buses and hanging over winding hillside streets. Shops had competing displays of royal regalia.
Even those visiting the country were issued with special passport stamps of the couple’s wedding logo to mark the occasion.
Embassies sent best wishes to the couple throughout the day. Ireland sent its “warmest congratulations” and British ambassador Bridget Brind wished them a “lifetime of happiness and lasting joy”.
In a video message, Mr Biden told the couple: “In the years ahead, we are looking forward to working with you and your proud parents. I really wish I could be there with you today.”
Television viewers and live crowds were treated to traditional performances during the reception at Al Husseiniya Palace, where the royal family hosted more than 1,700 guests.
A banquet was to follow, combining “the formalities and diplomatic aspects of a state banquet with the joyous celebration and traditions of a wedding ceremony”, the Royal Court said.
Even in the impoverished Palestinian refugee camp of Al Wehdat, crowds gathered in the main square to watch the occasion live.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Company%20profile
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You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
On racial profiling at airports
