Princess Muna al-Hussein
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| Muna al-Hussein | |
| Princess Consort of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | |
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| Titles | HRH Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan (1971-) HRH The Princess Consort of Jordan (1961-1971) Miss Antoinette Gardiner (1941-1961) |
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| Born | April 25, 1941 |
| Birthplace | Chelmondiston, Ipswich, Suffolk |
| Consort | May 25, 1961 - December 21, 1971 |
| Consort to | Hussein of Jordan |
| Issue | King Abdullah II Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein Princess Aisha bint Al Hussein Princess Zein bint Al Hussein |
| Royal House | Hashemite |
| Father | Walter Percy Gardiner |
| Mother | Doris Elizabeth |
Princess Muna al-Hussein, born Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Photo at time of marriage) (born in Chelmondiston, near Ipswich, England, on April 25, 1941) was the second wife of King Hussein, the late King of Jordan and is the mother of the current King of Jordan, King Abdullah II of Jordan. She was named Muna al-Hussein after she married. She was never named queen though she was wife of a king, therefore it would be inappropriate to title her as a queen mother.
Muna went to the BFES (British Families Education Services) Comprehensive Secondary School, Bourne School Kuala Lumpur Malaya. The school closed when British forces withdrew from Malaysia.
Muna met the King of Jordan while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to see how things were progressing.
[edit] Marriage and children
An award-winning field hockey player, former typist and daughter of a British army officer turned innkeeper, Lt. Col. Walter Percy Gardiner, Antoinette Gardiner married King Hussein on May 25, 1961 They were divorced on December 21, 1971. She was given the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein upon marriage. Together they had four children:
- Abdullah (born 1962; now King Abdullah II of Jordan)
- Faisal (born 1963) married to Alia Tabbaa. They have a son, Omar, and three daughters: Ayah, Aisha and Sara.
- Aisha (born 1968, twin of Princess Zein) married to Zeid Juma. They have a son, Aoun, and a daughter, Muna.
- Zein (born 1968, twin of Princess Aisha) married to Majdi Saleh. They have a son, Jaafar, a daughter, Jumana, and an adopted daughter, Tahani Al Shawan.
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*already part of the family but moved to reflect her now married position |
It is widely reported that Princess Muna did not convert to Islam though no evidence of this has yet to be found. It was thought that this was the reason why Princess Muna was never a queen, it was rumoured that Princess Muna had refused the title of Queen. The Jordanian constitution requires that any heir to the throne be born of a legitimate couple, and both parents should be Muslims.[1] The fact that this has not been changed and the current King (Abdullah II) is her son and that Prince Faisal and his son Prince Omar hold rights of succession is possible evidence of her conversion to Islam. After her divorce she was allowed to remain Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan and she continues to work and live in Jordan.
| Royal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Sharifa Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid as Queen consort |
Princess Consort of Jordan 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1971 |
Succeeded by Alia al Hussein as Queen consort |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- William Addams Reitwiesner, Ancestry of Princess Muna of Jordan.
- Genealogy of the Al-Hashimite Dynasty
- Hussein's biography
- King Hussein - His Early Life
