Princess Muna al-Hussein
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Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein (born Antoinette Avril Gardiner, 25 April 1941) is the mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Until their divorce on 21 December 1971, she was the second wife of Hussein, the late King of Jordan. She is British by birth, but was re-named Muna al-Hussein at the time of the marriage for the sake of Jordanian culture.
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[edit] Early life
Gardiner attended Bourne School in Kuala Lumpur, which was administered by the British Families Education Service for the children of British service personnel stationed overseas. The school closed when British forces withdrew from Malaya.
[edit] Connection to Jordan
Gardiner met the King of Jordan while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to see how things were progressing.
[edit] Marriage and children
Toni Gardiner married King Hussein in Amman, Jordan, on 25 May 1961. She converted to Islam and was renamed Muna al-Hussein upon marriage,[1] and was given the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein on the birth of her first son on 30 January 1962. Together they had four children:
- Abdullah (born 1962; now King Abdullah II of Jordan)
- Faisal (born 1963), who has a son, Omar, and three daughters: Ayah, Aisha and Sara.
- Aisha (born 1968, twin of Princess Zein), who has a son, Aoun, and a daughter, Muna.
- Zein (born 1968, twin of Princess Aisha), who has a son, Jaafar, and a daughter, Jumana.
They were divorced on 21 December 1971. After her divorce she was allowed to keep the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Jordan. She continues to work and live in Jordan.
She is deeply involved in issues connected to the development of nursing in Jordan, founding the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing.[2]
[edit] Positions and titles
- Honor Chief of Nursing College in Mutah University, Al karak, Jordan.
- Honorary President of the Jordan Photographic Society
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid as Queen consort |
Princess Consort of Jordan 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1971 |
Succeeded by Alia al-Hussein as Queen consort |
[edit] References
- ^ The Jordanian constitution requires that any heir to the throne be born of a legitimate couple, and both parents should be Muslims. Chapter VI Part I, Article 28th of The Jordanian Constitution
- ^ Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing
