Category Archives: Current Monarchies

Katharine, The Duchess of Kent

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Her Royal Highness The  Duchess of Kent, wife of Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, was born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley on February 22, 1933, at Hovington Hall in Yorkshire, England, the Worsley family home. She is the daughter of Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet and Joyce Morgan Brunner.

Katharine had three older brothers:

Following her education at St Margaret’s School in York, England and Runton Hill School in Norfolk, England, Katharine worked in a children’s home in York and taught in a kindergarten in London. After failing to gain entry into the Royal Academy of Music, she studied at Miss Hubler’s Finishing School in Oxford. From an early age, Katharine had a talent for music and learned to play the piano, organ, and violin.

 

In 1956, Katharine met her future husband, Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, while he was stationed at Catterick Garrison, near Richmond, England. They married on June 8, 1961, at York Minster in York, England. Her bridesmaids included Princess Anne, and Jane Spencer, the elder sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent had three children:

The couple also had a stillborn child born in 1977. The Duchess of Kent suffered severe depression, something which she has spoken about publicly.

The family lived at Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, England until 1972, when they moved to York House at St James’ Palace in London, England. Since 1996, they have lived at Wren House on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, England. They also have a country house, The Old Forge, in Oxfordshire, England which they purchased in 2002.

In 1994, the Duchess converted to Catholicism, the first senior member of the royal family to convert publicly since the enactment of the Act of Settlement in 1701.  One of her children and several of her grandchildren have also become Catholic.

Some of the organizations the Duchess was associated with include:

  • Patron, Making Music (the National Federation of Music Societies)
  • Trustee, The National Foundation for Youth Music, London
  • President and Board Member, The Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
  • Ambassador, Aldeburgh Productions, in Suffolk
  • Patron, RUC Benevolent Fund in Northern Ireland
  • President, NCH Action for Children
  • President and Board Member, Macmillan Cancer Research
  • UNICEF
  • VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas)

Venus Williams receives the trophy from the Duchess of Kent as the Duke of Kent looks on after  winning the Women’s Singles Final of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in 2001

The Duchess of Kent was known for presenting the women’s singles trophies at the annual Wimbledon Championships from the 1970s to 2001. With her warm-hearted and informal demeanor, such as her comforting hug to Jana Novotná on Center Court, who had lost to Steffi Graf in 1993,  the Duchess won many admirers. After the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, the Duchess gave up her official role at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships as part of her withdrawal from public life.

In 2002, she reduced her public role and asked to be known as Katherine, Duchess of Kent (a style typically used for one widowed or divorced). However, formally she remains HRH The Duchess of Kent. She began teaching music at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull. She also purchased an apartment in Notting Hill where she taught music lessons. She supported organizations relating to music and music education. In 2004, she co-founded Future Talent, a children’s music charity established to find, fund, and nurture talented musicians in the United Kingdom.

The Duchess has not been seen in public recently. She did not attend the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the 2022 funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, or the 2023 coronation of King Charles III although her husband did attend all three.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent attend a service for the national minute of silence and mosaic unveiling at the base of Grenfell Tower as part of commemorations on the one-year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower block fire in west London, 2018

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

The Duke of Kent at the National Service Of Remembrance in 2020

Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick of Kent was born on October 9, 1935, at No. 3 Belgrave Square, his parents’ London residence. He is the eldest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent (a son of King George V, and younger brother of Kings Edward VIII and George VI), and Princess Marina of Greece. Through his father, he is a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and through his mother, he is a first cousin once removed of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Edward was christened in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England on November 20, 1935. His godparents were:

 

Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Coppins, in Buckinghamshire, England which his father inherited from Princess Victoria of Wales, a daughter of King Edward VII.  Edward has two younger siblings:

Prince George, Duke of Kent, was killed in a plane crash on August 25, 1942. At just six years old, Prince Edward succeeded his father as Duke of Kent, Earl of St. Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick.

Edward attended Ludgrove School and Eton College in England, and Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in July 1955, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys. He went on to serve in the British Army for 21 years. In 1976, the Duke retired from active service, having reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was later made Honorary Major General in 1983, and Honorary Air Marshal in 1993.

 

In 1956, while stationed at Catterick Garrison, near Richmond, England, Edward met his future wife Katharine Worsley, the daughter of Sir William Arthington Worsley, 4th Baronet, and Joyce Morgan Brunner. The couple was married on June 8, 1961, at York Minster in York, England.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent had three children:

The Duke and Duchess of Kent in 2013; Credit – Wikipedia

The family lived at Coppins until 1972, when they moved to York House at St James’ Palace in London, England. They remained at York House until 1996, taking up residence at Wren House, on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London, England. They also own a country home, The Old Forge, in Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire, England which they purchased in 2002.  Prior to that, they leased Anmer Hall on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk England from 1972-1990, and from 1989-1996 owned Crocker End House in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, England.

After retiring from the Army, the Duke of Kent served as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, promoting the United Kingdom and British businesses both within the UK and abroad. He stepped down In 2001, after 25 years.

The Duke of Kent has been an active member of the Royal Family and represented his first cousin Queen Elizabeth II at events in the United Kingdom around the world. As he aged, his engagements became more limited.

The Duke of Kent holds several royal appointments:

  • Colonel of the Scots Guards
  • Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
  • Colonel-in-Chief of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
  • Royal Colonel, 1st Battalion, The Rifles
  • Colonel-in-Chief of the Lorne Scots Regiment in Canada
  • Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  • Honorary Air Chief Marshall (RAF)
  • Honorary Air Commodore, RAF Leuchars

In addition, he is the patron of numerous organizations. He is probably most recognized for his role as President of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, serving from 1969 – 2021, a position to which he succeeded upon his mother’s death in 1968. In this role, he presented the champion’s trophies at Wimbledon each year.

 

Some of The Duke of Kent’s other organizations and patronages:

  • President, The Scout Association (since 1975)
  • President, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • RAF Benevolent Fund
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • The Stroke Association
  • The Royal Institution
  • Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI)

The Duke is a Royal Knight of the Order of the Garter, Grand Master of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and was Personal Aide-de-Camp to his first cousin Queen Elizabeth II. He has been a Freemason since 1963, and since 1967 has served as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales. He also serves as Chancellor of the University of Surrey.

Despite a minor stroke in March 2013, the Duke made a very quick recovery and returned to his official duties just a few weeks later.

 

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Credit – By The National Churches Trust – Luke March, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Pippa Jacob, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78033822

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester was born at Hadley Common in Hertfordshire, England on August 26, 1944.  He was the second of the two sons of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, daughter of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch,  and one of the nine grandchildren of King George V of the United Kingdom.

The prince’s christening took place at the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on October 20, 1944. The location of the christening was not announced at the time due to security concerns because of World War II. The names given to the royal baby were Richard Alexander Walter George, three of the names after his three godfathers, and his godparents were:

Prince Richard had one elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester who was killed in an airplane accident at an airshow in 1972 (scroll down).  At that time, Prince Richard became the heir to his father’s titles.

Richard started his education at home. He then attended Wellesley House School in Broadstairs, Kent, England, and Eton College in Eton, Berkshire, England. In 1963, Richard began studying architecture at Magdalene College, Cambridge University where he received a Diploma of Architecture. He was a partner in a London architecture firm and planned to make it his career. However, upon his brother’s death in 1972, when Richard became his father’s heir, he took on increased royal duties and the responsibility for the family estate, so he resigned from his partnership.

First row, seated: Princess Alice of Albany; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester; The Queen Mother; Vivian van Deurs Second row, standing: Prince Michael of Kent; Princess Margaret; The Prince of Wales; Prince Richard of Gloucester; Birgitte van Deurs; Prince William of Gloucester; two members of Birgitte’s family; Asger Henriksen; Photo Credit – orderofsplendor.blogspot.com

While studying at Cambridge University, Richard met his future wife, the Danish-born Birgitte Eva Henriksen, who was attending the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, England. Birgitte and Prince Richard became engaged in February 1972 and were married on July 8, 1972, at St. Andrew’s Church in Barnwell, Northamptonshire, England nearby the Gloucester family home Barnwell Manor.  Prince Richard’s father was unable to attend the wedding. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester had suffered his first stroke in 1965 and subsequent strokes required him to use a wheelchair and rendered him unable to speak for his remaining years.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester had three children, all married with their own children:

 

On June 10, 1974, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester died and Prince Richard succeeded his father as Duke of Gloucester. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. In 2019, they moved from the large Apartment 1 to the Old Stables, a smaller residence that is also located within the Kensington Palace grounds. They have leased out their private home Barnwell Manor in Northamptonshire, England since 1994.

The Duke of Gloucester in his robes as the Grand Prior of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem; Credit – Wikipedia

In support of his cousin Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Gloucester carried out a significant number of public duties and official engagements in the United Kingdom and overseas, and will continue to do so for his first cousin once removed King Charles III. He is associated with over 150 charities and organizations.  Some of the charities and organizations the Duke of Gloucester is associated with include:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon; Credit – Wikipedia

David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon was born on November 3, 1961, at Clarence House in London, England. He was the first child and only son of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom and Antony Armstrong-Jones, and one of the six grandchildren of King George VI of the United Kingdom.

 

The month before David was born, his father was created Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley due to concerns that a British princess would give birth to a child without a title. The heir of a British peer is allowed to use the second title of the noble parent as a courtesy title, so David was styled Viscount Linley and became the 2nd Earl of Snowdon upon his father’s death on January 13, 2017. Professionally, he is known as David Linley. On December 19, 1961, David was christened in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Michael Ramsey. His godparents were Lady Bruce Dundas, Nigel Harvey, Nick Powell, Orlando Rock, Lucinda Cecil, and Rita Konig.

 

David has one sibling:

When he was five years old, David began his education in the schoolroom at Buckingham Palace with his first cousin Prince Andrew.  David then attended the Gibbs School in Kensington, London, England, and the Ashdown House School in East Sussex, England. Next, he attended the now-closed Millbrook House School, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England. David finished his secondary education at Bedales School in Steep, Hampshire, England where he developed an interest in arts and crafts.

From 1980-1982, David studied the craft of woodworking at Parnham College in Beaminster, Dorset, England. In 1976, furniture maker John Makepeace bought Parnham House and founded the Parnham Trust and the School for Craftsmen in Wood. It later became Parnham College with the goal “to provide integrated courses in design, making and management for aspiring furniture makers, alongside but separately from his own furniture workshops.” In 2000, the school moved to a new campus in Hooke Park, England, and is now known as the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

LINLEY store on Pimlico Road in London

David Linley has had a career as a furniture designer and maker and set up his own company LINLEY in 1985. From his company’s website: “I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by beautiful things. Instead of taking these for granted, I wanted to find out more about the making process, whether a vase, a car, a sculpture or indeed a piece of furniture. When I was a small boy, my grandmother challenged me to find a secret drawer in a bureau that she treasured. I still remember the exhilaration when I eventually found it. I couldn’t understand how it was possible to conceal something so cleverly, so resolved to find out how. This was really when my interest in woodworking began.”

David does not have an official role, but he does take part in Royal Family events, such as Trooping the Color. In 2002, while his grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was lying in state at Westminster Hall, David, along with his first cousins The Prince of Wales, The Duke of York, and The Earl of Wessex, stood guard around their grandmother’s coffin.

 

David married The Honorable Serena Stanhope, a daughter of Viscount Petersham (now the 12th Earl of Harrington) at St. Margaret’s Church in Westminster, London, England on October 8, 1993. On February 17, 2020, David and Serena announced that they intend to divorce. A spokesperson for the couple said: “The Earl and Countess of Snowdon have amicably agreed that their marriage has come to an end and that they shall be divorced. They ask that the press respect their privacy and that of their family.”

The couple has two children:

In 2012, David’s son Charles was appointed to be the First Page of Honor of his great-aunt, Queen Elizabeth II. This is a ceremonial position granted to teenage sons of the nobility and requires attendance on state occasions when the pages usually carry the long train of the Sovereign’s attire.

Charles Armstrong Jones_Page

The Honorable Charles Patrick Armstrong-Jones (back right) at the State Opening of Parliament in 2013; Photo Credit – www.dailymail.co.uk. (PA)

David’s daughter Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones was born shortly after the deaths of her grandmother Princess Margaret (whose middle name was Rose) and her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and was named after them. She was also a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones on the right

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson

Princess Christina Louise Helena of Sweden was born at Haga Palace in Solna Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden on August 3, 1943. She is the youngest of four daughters, known as The Haga Princesses, of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Christina is the fourth of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Christina has four siblings:

Christina is the only one of her siblings who pursued higher education. Following her early education privately at home, she attended the École Française, in Stockholm, graduating in 1963. She then attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stockholm University.

 

Princess Christina married Tord Magnuson on June 15, 1974, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. Like her sisters Margaretha and Désirée, she lost her royal style and title, becoming Her Excellency Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson. The style of ‘Her Excellency’ comes from having been created a Knight of the Danish Order of the Elephant in 1973.

The couple had three sons:

  • Gustaf Magnuson (born 1975), married Vicky Andrén, had one daughter
  • Oscar Magnuson (1977), married Emma Ledent, had one son
  • Victor Magnuson (1980), married Frida Bergström, had two sons

In the early years of her brother’s reign, before his marriage to Queen Silvia, Christina often served as ‘first lady’ as she was the only one of the Swedish princesses living in Sweden. She is one of the godparents of her niece Princess Madeleine.

Princess Christina has remained the most visible of the King’s sisters, typically attending the Nobel Prize ceremonies each year, and occasionally undertaking official engagements. She served as Chairperson of the Swedish Red Cross from 1993-2002.

In late 2010, Princess Christina revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer earlier in the year, and had undergone several operations along with radiation and chemotherapy treatment.  In October 2016, it was announced that Princess Christina had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia which progresses slowly and mostly affects people over the age of 60.  After initial treatment failed, the Princess received a stem cell transplant in 2017 which was successful.

In August 2018, in conjunction with her 75th birthday, Princess Christina announced that she is retiring from her royal duties.  Realizing that “life is not infinite”, she plans to enjoy her retirement with her husband and family.

 

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern; Photo: Wikipedia

Princess Birgitta Ingeborg Alice of Sweden was born January 19, 1937, at the Haga Palace in Solna, Sweden, the second daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the second of the four elder sisters of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Like her sisters, she was educated privately at Haga Palace, where her family lived until moving to the Royal Palace in 1950.

Birgitta had three siblings:

After supposedly having turned down a marriage proposal from the Shah of Iran (citing religious differences as the reason), Princess Birgitta met her future husband, Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern, a fine arts expert, at a cocktail party in Germany in 1959. Their engagement was announced in December 1960.

 

The couple was married in a civil ceremony in Stockholm on May 25, 1961. A religious ceremony followed on May 30, 1961, at the parish church of St John The Evangelist at Sigmaringen Castle, the seat of the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  Princess Birgitta applied to convert to Catholicism at the time of her marriage. However, her spiritual commitment to the change was questioned and the application was rejected. Because she married a man of princely status, Birgitta retained her royal style and title as Princess of Sweden and is the only one of her sisters to remain an official member of the Swedish Royal House.

Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg had three children:

  • Prince Carl Christian of Hohenzollern (born 1962), married Nicole Helene Neschitsch, had one son
  • Princess Désirée of Hohenzollern (born 1963), married (1) Heinrich, Count of Ortenburg, had two sons and one daughter, divorced  (2) Eckbert von Bohlen and Halbach
  • Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern (born 1966), married Uta Maria König, had one son and one daughter

 

Birgitta and her husband separated in 1990 but remained married. Prince Johann Georg lived in Munich, Germany while Princess Birgitta lived on the island of Majorca, in Spain. They were occasionally seen together at family functions, such as the 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria. Princess Birgitta is one of the godparents of her nephew Prince Carl Philip.  Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern died in Munich, Germany on March 2, 2016, following a brief illness at the age of 83.

An avid golfer, Birgitta was an Honorary Board Member of the Royal Swedish Golf Society, and since 1991, hosted her own golf tournament, The Princess Birgitta Trophy, at the Santa Ponsa Golf Club on Majorca.

Princess Birgitta of Sweden, Princess of Hohenzollern, died, aged 87, on December 4, 2024, in Mallorca, Spain, where she lived. The funeral of Princess Birgitta of Sweden, sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was held on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace followed by the burial at the Royal Burial Ground in Haga Park in Solna, Sweden.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler – photo: Wikipedia

Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler is the eldest of the four sisters sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. She was born Princess Margaretha Désirée Victoria of Sweden on October 31, 1934, at Haga Palace, the eldest child of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Through both of her parents, she is a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Margaretha has three younger siblings:

Princess Margaretha was educated privately at Haga Palace, where she lived with her mother and siblings. Her father had died in a plane crash in Denmark in 1947. She later attended Märthaskolan (Martha School), a dressmaking school in Stockholm. In 1950, her great-grandfather King Gustaf V died and her grandfather became King Gustaf VI Adolf. The family moved from Haga Palace to the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

For many years, Margaretha and her three sisters, known as “The Haga Princesses”, were very prominent in Swedish society. All quite beautiful and sought after, they were often seen in photos at various events. Following a romance with Robert Douglas-Home, a Scottish diplomat (and later paramour of Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom), Princess Margaretha met British businessman John Ambler at a dinner party in England. Their engagement was announced in February 1964.

 

On June 30, 1964, Princess Margaretha and British businessman John Ambler, the son of Captain Charles Ambler and Louise Cullen, were married at the Gärdslösa Church, on the island of Öland in Sweden. Upon marriage, Margaretha lost her royal style and was styled Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler. The couple settled in England, and had three children:

  • Sibylla Louise Ambler (born 1965), married  Baron Cornelius von Dincklage, had one daughter and one son, separated
  • Charles Edward Ambler (born 1966), married to Helen Jane Ross, had two daughters
  • James Patrick Ambler (born 1969), married to Ursula Mary Shipley, had one daughter and one son

Margaretha and her husband separated in 1996 but never divorced. John Ambler suffered from poor health and spent the last ten years of his life in a nursing home in Oxfordshire, England.  He passed away on May 31, 2008.

Princess Margaretha lives near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England. She does not take part in any official functions in Sweden but is typically seen at family events such as the weddings of her brother’s children. She lives a rather quiet life in England, and for many years opened the Swedish Church Christmas Bazaar in London.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Sarvath in 2015 receiving an honorary doctorate ; By University of Bath – https://www.flickr.com/photos/uniofbath/19116052028/sizes/o/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48394484

Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan is the wife of Prince Hassan of Jordan, the younger brother of King Hussein I of Jordan. She was born Sarvath Ikramullah on July 24, 1947, in Calcutta, India, the daughter of Mohammed Ikramullah and Shaista Suhrawardy.

Sarvath’s father served in the Indian Civil Service and following the partition of India, he became Pakistan’s first Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He also served as Ambassador to Canada, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Her mother was one of Pakistan’s first female members of Parliament, Ambassador to Morocco, and served several times as a delegate to the United Nations.  The family moved around quite often. Sarvath received most of her education in the United Kingdom and graduated from The University of Cambridge.

Sarvath married Prince El Hassan on August 28, 1968. The couple first met ten years earlier when they were just eleven years old. They had four children:

Sarvath and her husband served as Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Jordan for 34 years, until 1999 when King Hussein named his eldest son Abdullah to succeed him just days before his death. During this time, Princess Sarvath worked with many organizations and initiatives within Jordan, with much of her focus on education and social welfare. The couple continues to represent Jordan at royal events around the world.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Hassan of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Hassan of Jordan; Credit –  Wikipedia

Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan was born on March 20, 1947, in Amman, Jordan. He is the third of the four sons and the fourth of the six children of King Talal and Queen Zein.  He had five siblings:

He attended the Summer Fields School and the Harrow School before attending Christ Church, Oxford University, earning his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Oriental Studies.

In 1965, King Hussein named his brother Hassan Crown Prince, and he often served as Regent. He remained Crown Prince until just days before King Hussein died in 1999 when the King named his eldest son Abdullah as Crown Prince.

In 1968, Hassan married Sarvath Ikramullah. The couple had four children:

Prince Hassan is involved with a large number of organizations and charities both within Jordan and around the world. A list of many of them can be found here. He has also written several books and articles and received numerous awards and honorary degrees. In June 2013, he was appointed Chairman of the United Nations Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation. Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath often represent the Jordanian royal family at royal events around the world.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © 2014

Hamzah bin Al Hussein; Credit – Wikipedia

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:

  • 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

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):

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)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.