AMMAN, Jordan — The 28-year-old heir to the throne of Western-allied Jordan married on Thursday, June 1, 2023, his Saudi fiancee, a 29-year-old architect linked to her own country’s monarch, and the wedding emphasizes continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability.
The wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Alseif took place at a palace in Jordan. The festivities introduce Hussein, the son of King Abdullah II, to a wider global audience.
The celebration buttresses the royal family’s order of succession, refreshes its image after a palace feud and may even help resource-poor Jordan forge a strategic bond with its oil-rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia.
High-profile guests included Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate.
Jordan’s 11 million citizens have watched the young crown prince rise in prominence in recent years, as he increasingly joined his father in public appearances. Hussein has graduated from Georgetown University, joined the military and gained some global recognition speaking at the U.N. General Assembly. His wedding, experts say, marks his next crucial rite of passage.
“It’s not just a marriage; it’s the presentation of the future king of Jordan,” said political analyst Amer Sabaileh. “The issue of the crown prince has been closed.”
The wedding may create a brief feel-good moment for Jordanians during tough economic times, including persistent youth unemployment and an ailing economy.
The kingdom declared Thursday a public holiday so crowds of people could gather after the wedding service to wave at the couple’s motorcade of red Land Rover jeeps — a nod to the traditional procession of horse riders clad in red coats during the reign of the country’s founder, King Abdullah I. Tens of thousands of well-wishers are expected to flock to free concerts and cultural events. Huge screens have been set up nationwide for crowds to watch the occasion unfold. (AP)