by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2013
Lisa Najeeb Halaby was born on August 23, 1951, in Washington DC, the eldest child of Najeeb Halaby and Doris Carlquist. Her father, of Syrian descent, held several prominent positions including head of the Federal Aviation Administration, and CEO of PanAm. Coming from an affluent family, Lisa attended private schools for her primary education – The National Cathedral School in Washington DC, The Chapin School in New York City, and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. She went on to attend Princeton University, as a member of the first coed class, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning.
In 1977, Lisa met her future husband – King Hussein of Jordan – while working on the development of Queen Alia Airport in Jordan, named for the King’s recently deceased wife. The couple was soon engaged and married on June 15, 1978, in Amman. Upon marriage, Lisa was given the name Noor Al-Hussein and was made Queen of Jordan. Previously, she had converted to Islam and relinquished her American citizenship.
Noor and Hussein had four children together. In addition, she raised three of her stepchildren, the children of King Hussein and his third wife Queen Alia who had died in a helicopter crash.
- Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan (born 1980), married (1) Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, had one child, divorced (2) Basmah Bani Ahmad, had five children
- Prince Hashim (born 1981), married Fahdah Mohammed Abunayyan, had five children
- Princess Iman (born 1983), married Zaid Azmi Mirza, had one son, divorced
- Princess Raiyah (born 1986), married Ned Donovan
King Hussein died in 1999 following a battle with cancer. Queen Noor continues her work with many international organizations, including chairing the King Hussein Foundation, serving as president of the United World Colleges, and working with the Global Zero campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons around the world. Queen Noor divides her time between Jordan, Washington, D.C., and the United Kingdom, in London and at her country residence, Buckhurst Park, near Winkfield, Berkshire.
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Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Resources at Unofficial Royalty
- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Index
- Jordanian Births, Deaths, Marriages
- Jordanian Royal Burial Sites
- Jordanian Royal FAQs
- Jordanian Royal Weddings
- Line of Succession to the Jordanian Throne
- Profiles of the Jordanian Royal Family
Suggested reading: Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, (2003) by Queen Noor of Jordan