Amman, Jordan – The Jordanian royal family is gearing up for yet another wedding, with Crown Prince Hussein set to marry Rajwa Al Saif on 1 June 2023. The announcement comes just months after his younger sister Princess Iman tied the knot in a ceremony attended by the family and close friends.
The upcoming nuptials of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa will be a significant occasion for the Jordanian royal family. The couple, who became engaged in August 2022, will follow in the footsteps of Princess Iman and choose one of the Jordanian palaces as their venue, or they may opt for a location in Rajwa’s home country of Saudi Arabia.
Crown Prince Hussein, who is 28 years old and heir to the throne, proposed to Rajwa at her father’s home in the presence of his parents. The prince gained a history degree from Georgetown University in the US in 2016 and graduated from Sandhurst in 2017. He is now a captain in the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Despite being King Abdullah II’s eldest son, Prince Hussein did not grow up as heir to the throne. When Abdullah II became king, he named his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, as his heir. However, he removed Hamzah from the line of succession in 2004, before naming his son Hussein as the next Crown Prince in 2009.
The announcement of the royal wedding date was made by the royal court in a statement, which read: “The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that the wedding of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif will take place on 1 June 2023. The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah on this occasion, and wishes His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif a lifetime of happiness.”
The mother Queen Rania expressed her joy on Instagram about both her son’s and daughter’s engagements. She wrote: “I didn’t think it was possible to hold so much joy in my heart! Congratulations to my eldest Prince Hussein and his beautiful bride-to-be, Rajwa,” and “Congratulations my dearest Iman; your smile has always been a gift of love that I’ve cherished since the day you were born. I wish you and Jameel a life filled with love and laughter!”
Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Iman are the eldest of King Abdullah and Queen Rania’s four children. The family is closely followed by royal watchers worldwide, and the upcoming wedding is certain to be a grand affair.
The Jordanian Ministry of Labor said on Wednesday that the Crown Prince’s wedding holiday includes all private sector employees with no exceptions.
“The ministry’s decision came in line with this special occasion, to enable citizens across the country to express their joy at the wedding of the beloved Crown Prince,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry called on private sector establishments to take into account the conditions of employees to avoid traffic jams on that day.
The holiday decision comes in celebration of this occasion, and to provide an opportunity for holding official and public celebrations.