by Scott Mehl © 2014
Hamzah bin Al Hussein; Credit – Abd Alrahman Wreikat https://www.flickr.com/photos/abdelrahmanaldojan/33033564273/in/dateposted-public/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57723345
Born Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan on March 29, 1980, in Amman, Jordan, Hamzah is the eldest son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife, Queen Noor (the former Lisa Halaby). On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan.
Hamzah has three younger siblings:
Hamzah has seven half-siblings from her father’s other three marriages.
From his father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):
- Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one child, divorced (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children
From his father’s second marriage to Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna):
- King Abdullah II (born 1962), married Rania al Yassin, had four children
- Prince Feisal (born 1963), married (1) Alia Tabbaa, had four children, divorced (2) Sara Bassam Qabbani, no children, divorced (3) Zeina Lubbadeh, had two children
- Princess Aisha (born 1968), married (1) Zeid Saadedine Juma, had two children, divorced (2) Ashraf Banayoti, divorced
- Princess Zein (born 1968), married Majdi Farid Al-Saleh, had three children
From his father’s third marriage to Alia Baha ad-Din Toukan (Queen Alia):
- Princess Haya (born 1974), married Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, had two children, divorced
- Prince Ali (born 1975), married Rym Brahimi, a former CNN journalist, had two children
- Abir Muhaisen (born 1972, adopted in 1976), Abir had been orphaned when her mother was killed in a plane crash at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan.
Hamzah at his Passing Out Parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999
Hamzah began his education in Jordan and attended the Harrow School in London, England. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and served with the Jordanian Armed Forces where he held the rank of Colonel. He later graduated, in 2006, from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Upon their father’s death in 1999, Hamzah was named Crown Prince by his elder half-brother, the new King Abdullah II, in accordance with their father’s wishes. He would later serve occasionally as Regent for King Abdullah and often represented him at events both within Jordan and abroad. However, on November 28, 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince. In a public letter, he said that … “Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake.” A few years later, the King named his son, Hussein, as Crown Prince of Jordan.
In April 2021, Hamzah was accused of trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government. He was placed under house arrest and was ordered to stop actions that could be used to target the country’s “security and stability”. In a video released by Hamzah’s lawyer, Hamzah accused the country’s leaders of corruption, harassment, and incompetence. The video and the text of the statement can be seen at BBC: Prince Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan’s ‘house arrest’ message in full. Ahmad Hasan al Zoubi, a prominent newspaper columnist, said, “What Prince Hamzah said is repeatedly heard in the homes of every Jordanian.” On April 7, 2021, King Abdullah II said Hamzah’s house arrest was ending and that Hamzah was now “in his palace under my protection.” In March 2022, the Royal Court published an apology purportedly signed by Hamzah and asking his half-brother King Abdullah II for forgiveness.
On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan. In a statement posted to Twitter, Hamzah said:
“Following what I have witnessed in recent years, I have come to the conclusion that my personal convictions which my father instilled in me, and which I tried hard in my life to adhere to, are not in line with the approaches, trends and modern methods of our institutions. From the matter of honesty to God and conscience, I see nothing but to transcend and abandon the title of prince. I had the great honour of serving my beloved country and my dear people over the years of my life. I will remain as I have always been and as long as I live, loyal to our beloved Jordan.”
Hamzah and his first wife Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef
Hamzah has been married twice. He first married his second cousin, Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, on August 29, 2003 (with the official wedding on May 27, 2004). They had one daughter before divorcing in September 2009.
- Princess Haya bint Hamzah (born 2007)
Hamzah and his second wife Basmah Bani Ahmad in 2011
Hamzah married Basmah Bani Ahmad on January 12, 2012. The couple has four daughters and two sons:
- Princess Zein bint Hamzah (born 2012)
- Princess Noor bint Hamzah (born 2014)
- Princess Badiya bint Hamzah (born 2016)
- Princess Nafisa bint Hamzah (born 2018)
- Prince Hussein bin Hamzah (born 2019)
- Prince Mohammad bin Hamzah (born 2022)
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