- Princess Muna al-Hussein
-
Muna al-Hussein 
Princess consort of Jordan Tenure 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1971 Spouse Hussein of Jordan Issue Abdullah II of Jordan
Prince Faisal
Princess Aisha
Princess ZeinHouse Hashemite Father Walter Percy Gardiner Mother Doris Elizabeth Sutton Born 25 April 1941
Chelmondiston, SuffolkJordanian Royal Family 
- HM The King
HM The Queen- HRH The Crown Prince
- HRH Princess Iman
- HRH Princess Salma
- HRH Prince Hashem
Extended royal familyHer 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 King 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. She was never named Queen though she was wife of a King, therefore it would be inappropriate to title her as a Queen Mother.
Contents
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.
Connection to Jordan
An award-winning field hockey player, former typist and daughter of a British army officer turned innkeeper, then Lt. Col. Walter Percy Gardiner, 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.
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]
Positions and titles
- Honor Chief of Nursing College in Mu'ta University, Alkarak, Jordan.
- Honorary President of the Jordan Photographic Society
Radio amateur
Muna al-Hussein is a licensed radio amateur and carries the callsign JY2; she has a non-conformist callsign consisting only of the Jordan prefix, denoting her royal status and similarly to her late (former) husband, the King. H.M. granted the license to H.R.H personally and by royal decree. It was an unusual gesture to a woman in Arab society and was considered as a political statement by H.M. the King.
Royal titles Preceded by
Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid
as Queen consortPrincess Consort of Jordan
25 May 1961 – 21 December 1971Succeeded by
Alia al-Hussein
as Queen consortReferences
- ^ 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
External links
Categories:- 1941 births
- Living people
- People from Babergh (district)
- Jordanian royal consorts
- Jordanian princesses
- House of Hashim
- Converts to Islam
- Amateur radio people
- Jordanian people of English descent
- HM The King
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
