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Jordan

King Abdullah and Prince Hamzah appear in public together for the first time since ‘royal rift’

Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of uncertainty about the political situation in Jordan, one of the most stable states in the Middle East. The constitutional monarchy is said to have been subjected to a planned coup that was averted by Jordanian security forces. Now King Abdullah has appeared with his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, for first time since the Prince was place under house arrest for his alleged involvement in attempting to destabilise the kingdom.

A video released by the Jordanian Royal Court on April 11, 2021, shows Jordanian King Abdullah II together with his son Crown Prince Hussein and half-brother Prince Hamzah. The three royals attended a ceremony where they read the Fatiha, or the prayer of the dead, over the tomb of late King Abdullah I at the Raghadan Palace in the Jordanian capital of Amman. All were dressed in civilian clothes, apart from Hussein, the heir to the throne, who wore military dress.

On 3 April, a major situation developed in Jordan where there were rumours of a potential coup. The King’s younger half-brother, Hamzah, formerly the Crown Prince of Jordan, was placed under house arrest. The Prince released a video via his attorney that night denying any wrongdoing and asserted that he is not part of any conspiracy. King Abdullah said last Wednesday that Prince Hamzah, who has signed a letter pledging his loyalty to the king following mediation by an uncle, was safe in his palace under his protection.

Last week the President of the United States, Joe Biden, spoke to the King of Jordan in a phone call on Wednesday. The US President wanted to make it clear that Jordan’s current monarch has the support of the United States, the White House said in a press release. President Biden spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan to express the strong American support for Jordan while also underscoring the importance of King Abdullah II’s leadership to the United States and the Middle East. 

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.