Foreign Affairs

Jordan. William and Kate surprise at the wedding of Prince Hussein and Rajwa

Prince William and Princess Kate arrived unexpectedly in Amman to attend Prince Hussein's wedding to Rajwa Alseif

01/06/2023

Jordanian royal court

The British royal couple were welcomed at the Zahran Royal Palace in Amman by Jordan's King Abdullah II and Queen Rania for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, 28, and Saudi architect Rajwa Alseif, 29, a Saudi woman linked to the Wahhabi ruling family.

The presence of William and Kate was confirmed by Jordanian media only hours before the start of the ceremony at the palace.

The link between the princes of Wales and Jordan is long-standing. In particular, Kate lived there for almost three years when she was very young - her father, manager of British Airways, had been transferred to Amman in the early eighties.

In 2021, William and Kate chose a photo of their holiday in Jordan with their children George, Charlotte and Louis as a Christmas card.

The event, much awaited and followed in the Middle East, attracted a large number of guests, including international politicians, European aristocrats and VIPs.

Among those present in Amman for the ceremony were other royals from Europe and Asia, as well as American first lady Jill Biden.

Crowds gathered in front of giant screens broadcasting the wedding live across the country, with many participants waving flags and wearing the red and white checkered scarves worn by Jordan's ruling family, the Hashemites.