Queen Rania of Jordan is hitting the stores in anticipation of becoming a grandmother for the first time.
The Royal Hashemite Court announced on April 10 that King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan’s eldest son, Crown Prince Hussein, is expecting his first child with his wife, Princess Rajwa. The baby will be the first grandchild of Hussein’s parents, King Abdullah, 62, and Queen Rania, 53.
Recently chatting with Al Arabiya around the Silver Jubilee of his father, Crown Prince Hussein said they were “very excited about the new phase.”
“Everything will change with the kids, for sure. I don’t know what to expect, but thank God we are excited and the family is excited too,” he told Al Arabiya, adding that Queen Rania is prepping for the new arrival in a relatable way.
“My mother has already started shopping for baby stuff weeks ago,” he said.
Crown Prince Hussein, 29, and Princess Rajwa, 30, shared the news that their family is growing 10 months after they got married in a spectacular royal wedding. Royal from around the world, including Prince William, Kate Middleton and Princess Beatrice from the U.K., traveled to Amman for the festivities, which included a glamorous banquet that called for evening gowns and sparkling tiaras (and an epic group photo!).
Since Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa announced their engagement in 2022, Rajwa was welcomed into the royal family. In a speech at a pre-wedding event last year, Queen Rania said, “I’ll never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him. May you always be each other’s source of happiness and support.”
In a sweet display, all three of Crown Prince Hussein’s siblings took on special roles on their royal wedding day. Prince Hashem escorted the bride down the aisle, while Princess Iman and Princess Salma completed the procession, with the sisters sweetly fixing Rajwa’s dress and veil as she made her way through the Zahran Palace gardens to the wedding ceremony venue.
Princess Rajwa has since joined her husband and in-laws on royal engagements, including a trip to Washington, D.C.
Queen Rania also opened up about preparing her daughter-in-law for a life in the public eye.
She said during a 2023 appearance on TODAY, “One of the first things, just before my son announced his engagement, I took Rajwa to the side and the first thing I told her was that there’s no such thing as 100% approval rating. You’re always going to have people that are against you, and the advice that I want to give you is ‘Please try not to read the comments.’ ”
“You know, you’re just going to have self-doubt, and there’s always going to be negativity — and it’s not about you, it’s from the person. They’re unhappy in their own lives. So don’t carry that unhappiness…it’ll shake your confidence,” the royal added.
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On their first wedding anniversary on June 1, the Royal Hashemite Court shared new maternity photos of Princess Rajwa. The outdoor images showed Rajwa wearing a red pleated maxi dress by Alice and Olivia with gold statement earrings and two bangle bracelets, smiling as she cradled her bump.
A male child will become second in line to the throne of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The kingdom’s constitution dictates that the throne is hereditary to the dynasty of King Abdullah Ibn Al-Hussein and passes in linear succession through male heirs. If the baby is female, there will be no change to the line of succession. Regardless of sex, the baby on the way is expected to receive the titles of His/Her Royal Highness and prince/princess.Â
Crown Prince Hussein is heir to the throne, followed by his brother, Prince Hashem, 18. Queen Rania and King Abdullah are also parents to daughters Princess Iman, 27, and Princess Salma, 23, who are not in the line of succession.