Jordan’s Royal Wedding: Everything to know about Prince Al Hussein, Rajwa’s big day
Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II is scheduled to marry Saudi national Rajwa Al Saif on June 1 in a highly anticipated royal wedding.
As the son of Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, Crown Prince Al Hussein’s wedding is set to be the biggest royal celebration of 2023.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming royal wedding:
Who is the bride-to-be?
Al-Saif, whose full name is Rajwa Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif, was born in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on April 28, 1994. Her parents are Saudi businessman Khalid Al Saif and Azza Al Sudairi.
The bride-to-be received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from Syracuse University.
Apart from design, another hobby of hers is horseback riding. On her 28th birthday, her fiancé shared a black-and-white portrait on Instagram of Al Saif with a horse.
After she weds Prince Al Hussein, her title will be ‘Crown Princess of Jordan’ before becoming ‘Queen Rajwa’ when her husband takes the throne as king.
Where will the Jordanian royal wedding take place?
The Royal Hashemite Court announced that the eagerly awaited wedding ceremony will take place at Zahran Palace in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
Wedding processions will then move to Al Husseiniya Palace.
The palace, built in 1957, was the same location where King Abdullah II wed Queen Rania in 1993. The Jordanian king and queen, who will celebrate three decades together on June 10, left Zahran Palace in a convertible car to take part in a procession through the streets of Amman, where they greeted adoring crowds.
Who will attend?
The Jordanian royal wedding is expected to witness global country heads, Jordanian community leaders, prominent members of society, family members, friends and celebrities come together to celebrate the bride and groom.
The couple will welcome several international royal guests and dignitaries, including Princess Hisakoa and Princess Tsuguko of Japan, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, and the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.
No further details have been shared on which dignitaries from Arab countries will be in attendance.
What pre-wedding celebrations will take place?
As part of the Jordanian royal wedding celebrations, the Amman International Stadium in the capital will see a star-studded lineup of musical performances on May 29.
Jordanian singers Diana Karazon and Zain Awad, Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama and Egyptian singers Tamer Hosny and Ahmad Saad are all expected to perform. The event is free for ticket holders only.
The Ministry of Culture will also hold various events, including folkloric performances and fireworks shows on June 1.
Activities will be held in all governorates in Jordan, starting at 5:00 pm on the wedding day. More information will be shared on official government accoutnts.
On May 31, an exclusive dinner for several Jordanian and Arab guests will take place at the Raghadan Palace. The palace was home to King Abdullah I and is commonly used to host meetings with visiting heads of states and other ceremonial events.
A special invitation was sent out to guests that included the embelem of the royal Hashemite crown and the names of Prince Al Hussein and Al Saif. Among the conditions listed on the invite is a dress code only allowing national or traditional clothing and not bringing cell phones.
Pre-wedding celebrations underway
Pre-wedding celebrations have already been underway for Prince Al Hussein and Al Saif in the weeks leading up to the occasion.
This week, Queen Rania hosted a pre-wedding traditional henna night for the bride-to-be that saw the bride’s mother and the groom’s sisters – Princesses Iman and Salma – in attendance.
The occasion was marked with traditional Jordanian dances and poetry. Queen Rania also gave a speech expressing her love for her son Prince Al Hussein and the newest addition to their family.
Women from across the Jordanian community also attended the henna party.
A week earlier, Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein celebrated his upcoming wedding with his comrades at the 40th King Hussein Bin Talal Royal Armoured Brigade with festivities that included traditional dances and songs.
The event also featured poetry, tug-of-war games, and other activities.
