Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and his wife, Princess Rajwa, are expecting their first child this summer, the Jordanian royal family announced in a statement.
“The Royal Hashemite Court is pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, Crown Prince, and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, are expecting, with God’s help and grace, their first child, in the summer of this year,” the statement began on Wednesday, April 10. “The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah on this occasion, and wishes Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa good health and joy as they welcome their baby.”
Crown Prince Hussein, son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, and Rajwa Al Saifl, both 29, were married last summer in a ceremony at Zahran Palace in Amman, in front of dignitaries from around the world.
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton attended the wedding, along with Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, First Lady Jill Biden, Queen Sofia of Spain, Frederik X, King of Denmark, and his wife, Queen Mary, and Brunei Prince Abdul Mateen.
According to royal blog Gert’s Royals, the baby will have the titles of His/Her Royal Highness and Prince/Princess. If the baby is a boy, he will also be second in line to the throne after his father, as the prince’s eldest son. A daughter would not be in line for the throne, as the Jordanian line of succession applies to males only.
The baby will also make Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, 62, and Queen Rania, 53, first-time grandparents.
Despite their star-studded wedding, the prince and princess have stayed relatively under the radar. Prince Hussein was born in Jordan and Princess Rajwa in Saudi Arabia, but both went to college in the United States. Prince Hussein graduated from Georgetown University in 2016 with a degree in international history and also attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England. Princess Rajwa graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in architecture in 2017, spending time in Dubai to study the city’s sustainable developments.
The princess’s pregnancy comes just two months after her father, Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Sai, died at age 71.
”With profound sadness and sorrow, we bid farewell to my beloved father-in-law,” Prince Hussein wrote via Instagram in February. “We will always remember his kindness, generosity, and integrity. May God bestow mercy upon him and grant us patience and strength.”
The Royal Hashemite Court announced three days of mourning in his honor.
