Hussein of Jordan
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| His Majesty King Hussein | ||
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| King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | ||
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| Reign | 11 August 1952 – February 7, 1999 | |
| Born | November 14, 1935 | |
| Amman, Jordan | ||
| Died | February 7, 1999 | |
| Predecessor | Talal bin Abdullah | |
| Successor | Abdullah II of Jordan | |
| Consort | Sharifa Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid, Princess Muna al-Hussein Alia al Hussein Queen Noor of Jordan |
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| Issue | Alia, Abdullah, Faisal, Aisha, Zein, Haya, Ali, Hamzah, Hashim, Iman, Raiyah | |
| Royal House | Hashemite | |
| Father | Talal bin Abdullah | |
| Mother | Zein al Sharaf Talal | |
Hussein I bin Talal, King of Jordan (Arabic: حسين بن طلال Ḥusayn bin Ṭalāl; November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999). He ascended after the 1952 abdication of his father, King Talal.
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[edit] Life and career
[edit] Life before becoming king
Hussein completed his Junior High Education in Jordan, and then moved to Victoria College in Alexandria and Harrow School in England, and then to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to complete his education.
[edit] Death of King Abdullah I
On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah I traveled to Jerusalem to perform his Friday prayers with his young grandson, Prince Hussein. He was assassinated by a gunman at the instigation of Colonel Abdullah Tell, ex-Military Governor of Jerusalem, and Dr. Musa Abdullah Husseini, on the steps of one of the holiest shrines of Islam, Al-Aqsa Mosque. The assailant shot at Hussein, but the young prince is said to have been saved by a bullet fortuitously striking a medal that his grandfather had recently awarded him and insisted he wear.
[edit] Accession
Abdullah's eldest son, King Talal was crowned as King, but within a year was forced to abdicate because of poor mental condition (he allegedly suffered from schizophrenia[citation needed]). His son Crown Prince Hussein was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on August 11, 1952, at the age of 16, which was under the legal age, so he was enthroned one year later, on May 2, 1953.
[edit] Reign
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His reign was controversial, and he is described as an opportunist by some political historians. While it saw Jordan remain one of the Western sanctuaries and protectorates in the Middle East, it was also marked by the events of Black September when the king ordered the violent expulsion of the Palestine Liberation Organization from the country. The country also defied the West and the other allied leaders by refusing to side against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War — allegedly done for internal political reasons after the Ma'an uprising in 1988 that threatened the throne of the King — which alienated the kingdom from most of the Arab world. In 1994 King Hussein concluded negotiations to end the official state of war with Israel resulting in the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace which he had begun negotiating in secret with the Israelis in the 1970s. The king wrote three books: Uneasy Lies the Head (1962), about his childhood and early years as king; My War With Israel (1969); and Mon Métier de Roi. According to Benjamin Netanyahu in his book A Durable Peace (1993, revised 2000), Hussein had motivation for obtaining peace with Israel unofficially; indeed, Netanyahu claims Hussein flew to Tel Aviv the day before the Yom Kippur War in secret to warn the Israeli authorities of an imminent attack, and Israeli policy towards Jordan was to guarantee its security by intervening in any attack on its territory (this was directed specifically at Syria and Iraq).
[edit] After the peace treaty
King Hussein developed strong ties of friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, with whom he had negotiated the peace treaty. King Hussein gave a powerful speech at the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin:
- Further information: Hussein of Jordan's Speech at Rabin's Funeral
- My sister, Mrs. Leah Rabin, my friends, I had never thought that the moment would come like this when I would grieve the loss of a brother, a colleague and a friend - a man, a soldier who met us on the opposite side of a divide whom we respected as he respected us. A man I came to know because I realized, as he did, that we have to cross over the divide, establish a dialogue, get to know each other and strive to leave for those who follow us a legacy that is worthy of them. And so we did. And so we became brethren and friends.
[edit] Improvements in Jordan
Though King Hussein did many controversial things during his reign, he was appreciated by the Jordanian population for his accomplishments. In the Six-day war, the king held onto his throne, and put growth into Jordan's economy, doubling the annual output from 1956 to 1963.[1] He helped Jordan develop and become more stable. For example, at the beginning of his reign, he paid attention to the development of better water and electricity networks, in addition to sewage networks, which were only available to 10% of the population; by the end of his reign, the percentage had reached 99%. In addition, the Literacy rate of Jordan was 33%, rising to 85.5% in 1996 and still increasing. Other accomplishments include Calories available per individuals, which rose by about 50%, and the reduction in the infant mortality rate[citation needed].
[edit] Death
He died of complications related to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on February 7, 1999. The King had been suffering from the disease for many years and had been treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States on a fairly regular basis. Just before his death, he changed his will and the Jordanian Constitution in order to disinherit his brother, Hassan, who had been crown prince for several decades, and designated his eldest son, Abdullah as heir. Then, with a recurrent fever, abruptly returned to the U.S. clinic January 25 for further treatment. He underwent a bone marrow transplant earlier that week, but the transplant failed, and the king returned home to die. The King was, at the time of his death, one of the longest-serving leaders in international politics.[2]
[edit] Personal life
King Hussein was married four times, although he was never married to more than one woman at the same time: his four wives were
- Sharifa Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid, an Egyptian-born third cousin of King Hussein's father, King Talal, on April 18, 1955. A graduate of Cambridge University and a former lecturer in English literature at Cairo University, the bride was 26 to the groom's 19. They separated in 1956 and were divorced in 1957, at which time Queen Dina became known as Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan. She became an Egyptian citizen in 1963, and in October 1970, Princess Dina of Jordan married Asad Sulayman Abd al-Qadir, alias Salah Taamari, a Palestinian guerrilla commando who became a high-ranking official in the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- Daughter: H.R.H.Princess Alia bint Al Hussein (born 1956). Married first (1977, divorced 1987) Sayyid Nasser Mirza and second (1988) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh. Has issue by both.
- Antoinette Avril Gardiner ('Toni Gardiner'), (born Chelmondiston, England, 1941, styled H.R.H. Princess Muna al-Hussein (May 25, 1961. An award-winning field hockey player, former typist, and daughter of a British army officer turned innkeeper, Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Percy Gardiner, she was given the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein and retained this title after they divorced in 1972.
It is often thought that Princess Muna al-Hussein never converted to Islam. However, the Jordanian Constitution at Chapter VI Part I Article 28e specifically requires that every person with rights of succession to the Jordainan throne be born of a legitimate wife who is Muslim. The fact that the current King (Abdullah II) is the son of Princess Muna al-Hussein proves that Princess Muna did, indeed, convert to Islam. If Muna had not converted to Islam Abdullah II, Prince Faisal and their issue would not have the hereditary rights that they enjoy.- Children:
- His Majesty Abdullah II, King of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (born 1962). The current King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
- His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin al-Hussein of Jordan born 1963). Lieutenant-General, former Commander of Royal Jordanian Air Force. Married to Aliya Tabaa now known as Her Royal Highness Princess Aliya al-Faisal, has three daughters and one son.
- Her Royal Highness Princess Aisha bint Hussein (born 1968). Brigadier-General of Jordan's Royal Jordanian Land Force. Married to Sayyid Zeid Juma, she has a son and a daughter.
- Her Royal Highness Princess Zein bint Hussein (born 1968, Aisha's twin). Married to Sayyid Majdi Al-Saleh, she has a son, a daughter and an adopted daughter.
- Children:
- Alia Baha el-Din Toukan H.M. Queen Alia al-Hussein (1948–1977), after whom Jordan's international airport (Queen Alia International Airport) is named. She died in a helicopter crash in Amman, Jordan.
- Children:
- Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Hussein (born 1972). Married to Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
- His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan (born 1975). Married to Rym Brahimi now known as Her Royal Highness Princess Rym al-Ali and has a daughter.
- Adopted daughter: Abir, (born 1972, adopted 1976). She attended Oldfields Prep School in Glencoe, Maryland,USA (boarding school).
- Children:
- Lisa Najeeb Halaby, (renamed Queen Noor al Hussein on her conversion to Islam),
- Children:
- His Royal Highness Prince Hamzah bin al Hussein of Jordan (born 1980). Married to Her Royal Highness Princess Noor bint Asem of Jordan third daughter of His Royal Highness Prince Asem Abu Bakar of Jordan, by his first wife, Princess Firouzeh Vokhshouri. Princess Noor became Her Royal Highness Princess Noor Hamzah of Jordan upon her marriage.
- His Royal Highness Prince Hashim bin al Hussein of Jordan (born 1981). Married to Her Royal Highness Princess Fahdah
- Her Royal Highness Princess Iman bint Hussein (born 1983)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Raiyah bint Hussein (born 1986)
- Children:
In addition, he had a well publicized affair with Susan Cabot, a '50s B-Movie actress who was killed in 1986. After her son was charged with the murder, Hussein was suspected to be the father of the child, but nothing was proven.
King Hussein was an avid amateur radio operator (callsign JY1). He also loved to fly airplanes (prop and jet) as well as helicopters.
According to actor and comedian Mike Myers in an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, King Hussein was a great fan of the Austin Powers movie series, and would do impressions of Dr. Evil (whom he physically resembled) at meetings with defense contractors and high-ranking officers of the U. S. military.
King Hussein was succeeded as king by his eldest son Abdullah II of Jordan.
[edit] References
- ^ "King Hussein is dead: A fateful decision in the Six-Day War", CNN, 1999-02-07.
- ^ "King Hussein is dead", CNN, 1999-02-07.
[edit] External links
- Obituary, NY Times, February 8, 1999 Death of a King; Cautious King Took Risks In Straddling Two Worlds
- A Living Tribute to the Legacy of King Hussein I - official Royal Jordanian memorial website
- Slide Show - Personal Tribute Page
| Preceded by: Talal |
Hashemite King of Jordan 1952–1999 |
Succeeded by: Abdullah II |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | 1935 births | 1999 deaths | Amateur radio people | Aviators | Lymphoma deaths | Field Marshals | House of Hashim | Kings of Jordan | Knights of the Golden Fleece | Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath | Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | Recipients of the Royal Victorian Chain | Prince of Asturias Award winners
