The wedding of the crown prince has become
the main event of the year in Jordan. The elite from all over the world gathered
there. But Queen Noor of Jordan was not among the
guests. Why Jordan's royal family didn't want to see
her at the wedding? And how did the life of Queen Noor turn out
after the death of her husband King Hussein? Keep watching to find out her life story. This is Wow channel. Before we continue make sure to subscribe
to our channel and hit the bell icon for notifications. Let’s begin. Hussein bin Talal was the greatest king of
Jordan. He got his title at the age of 16 and ruled
the country for 47 years. He is known for transforming Jordan into a
stable modern state. However, he was unlucky in love for a long
time. King Hussein married for the first time at
the age of 20. This marriage was arranged by the parents. So the couple did not love each other, and
they divorced two years later. His second marriage was more successful and
lasted 11 years. King Hussein and his wife Antoinette Gardiner
raised four children. Their oldest son Abdullah II is the current
king of Jordan. King Hussein's third marriage to Queen Alia
lasted only 5 years, because his wife tragically died in a military helicopter crash. The king's fourth marriage was the most successful. Shortly after the death of his third wife,
Hussein met the American Lisa Najeeb Halaby. At the time of the wedding, she was 27 years
old, and he was 43. The girl converted to Islam and took the name
Noor Al Hussein. This event was covered in the Western press. No one believed that this couple had a future,
and that the people of Jordan would accept this woman. Everyone thought that she would forever be
a stranger in the country. As Queen Noor admitted, it was not an easy
decision for her to become the wife of a king who was much older than her and had several
children and three marriages in the past. In her 2003 memoir entitled ‘Leap of Faith:
Memoirs of an Unexpected Life’, she wrote: “I will not deny that the idea of being
his fourth wife, or anybody’s fourth wife, was troubling to me.” However, to everyone's surprise, it turned
out to be the happiest marriage of King Hussein. They raised four children: two sons and two
daughters, and lived together for 21 years, until the death of the King in 1999. Queen Noor was born and raised in America,
but she was of Syrian-Lebanese descent and spoke Arabic fluently. Therefore, she became popular in Jordan and
eventually gained the respect of many Jordanians. Prior to meeting the King, Noor worked in
architecture and urban planning. However, after her marriage, she devoted herself
to royal duties. And she was great in this role. Queen Noor was active in social work. She especially liked to deal with environmental
issues at the international level. When King Hussein passed away in 1999, his
son from his second marriage, Abdullah II, took his place. And the oldest son of Queen Noor, Hamzah,
was declared crown prince. The widow felt confident in the palace because
her son was next in line for the throne. However, in 2004, her position became less
stable when King Abdullah II removed Hamzah as crown prince and announced that his oldest
son Al Hussein would be next in line to the throne. Despite the fact that the wife of Abdullah
II Rania became the new queen of Jordan, Noor has kept her title and everyone continued
to call her a queen. However, as you understand, it is difficult
for two queens to get along in one palace. Relations between them became increasingly
tense. The women are said to have been far from understanding
each other for years. The relationship of these two queens was frosty
from the start. Their dislike began back in 1993 during the
wedding of Rania and Abdullah II. Queen Noor was invited to the ceremony. But when the official photos were taken with
the whole family, the then-Queen was not included. This angered Noor so much. When Rania took Queen Noor's place on the
throne, their rivalry intensified. Unlikely, Queen Rania wanted to share the
spotlight with anyone. Probably she saw Noor as a threat to her. So the widow had to take a less prestigious
role. However, she continued to live in Jordan and
engage in social work on behalf of numerous international organizations. In 2021, tensions between Noor and the Jordanian
royal couple finally reached their peak. Queen Noor's oldest son Prince Hamzah was
accused of attempting to destabilize the Kingdom of Jordan and fomenting unrest. Hamzah had to renounce his title and personally
apologize to the king. However, he still was punished. The King of Jordan personally stated that
Hamzah was placed under house arrest. His movements were limited due to his “erratic
behavior and aspirations”. Abdullah II also stated that the crisis which
resulted in Hamzah's house arrest started when Jordan's military chief of staff visited
Hamzah and warned him to stop attending meetings with critics of the government. Like any mother, Queen Noor was shocked by
the news of her son's arrest. She called the allegations that her son plotted
a coup as 'wicked slander’. She did not believe that her son was capable
of such an act. She posted the following statement on her
Twitter: «Playing that truth and justice will prevail
for all the innocent victims of this wicked slander. God bless and keep them safe». Queen Noor also called King Abdullah II's
decision to restrict the communications, place of residence and movement of her son, as "truly
bizarre". "Some truly bizarre and stranger than fiction
stuff circulating right now," she wrote on Twitter. Since then, tensions between the ruling royal
family and Queen Noor have intensified. Noor had to leave Jordan and now lives mostly
in America and in the United Kingdom. It is believed that she has two UK homes:
in London and Berkshire. It’s not surprising that no one wanted to
see Noor at the wedding of Crown Prince of Jordan Al Hussein in June 2023. Because the Jordanian royals probably still
see Queen Noor and her children as a threat. Tensions between Noor and the ruling royal
family could have spoiled everything. Moreover, it was not just a wedding, it was
the presentation of the future king of Jordan. And now no one doubts that the next king of
Jordan will be the oldest son of Abdullah II. And none of the children of Queen Noor will
be entitled to the throne. And this fact probably upsets her. However, despite the conflict with the ruling
royal family of Jordan, 71-year-old Queen Noor continues to lead an active social life. She is still heavily involved in humanitarian
and environmental affairs. On her Twitter, she shares events from her
life. In May 2023, for example, she delivered a
speech at the UWC international New York Gala. She also continues to hope that her son, who
lost freedom and his title of crown prince, will be released from house arrest. She recently posted a message on her Twitter:
"The true mark of a noble spirit is the one that can maintain its integrity and grace
even in the darkest of times." As you can see, the royal world seems to be
beautiful and glamorous, but in fact it is full of intrigue and deceit. Who do you like more, Queen Noor or Queen
Rania? Thanks for watching. Don’t forget to share your thoughts with
me, to click like and to subscribe. See you next time.
