Excitement over the nuptials - Jordan's biggest royal event in decades - has been building in the capital of Amman, where congratulatory banners of Hussein and his beaming bride adorn buses and hang over winding hillside streets.
Jordan's crown prince married the scion of a prominent Saudi family on Thursday in a palace ceremony attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world, as massive crowds gathered across the kingdom to celebrate the region's newest power couple.
The families and their guests gathered in an open-air gazebo decked with flowers and surrounded by landscaped gardens for a traditional Muslim wedding ceremony known as "katb al-ketab." The crowd erupted in applause after the signing of the marriage contract. Alseif will henceforth be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, according to a royal decree.
The kingdom declared Thursday a public holiday so crowds of people could gather to wave at the couple's motorcade amid a heavy security presence across the city. Tens of thousands of well-wishers attended free concerts and cultural events. Jordan's 11 million residents have watched the young crown prince rise in prominence in recent years, as he increasingly joined his father, Abdullah, in public appearances. Hussein has graduated from Georgetown University, joined the military and gained some global recognition speaking at the U.N. General Assembly. His wedding, experts say, marks his next crucial rite of passage.
Zahran Palace in Amman, where the marriage ceremony was held, hasn't seen such pomp and circumstance since 1993, when, on a similarly sunny June day, Abdullah married Rania, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. Decades earlier, Abdullah's father, the late King Hussein, sealed his vows in the same garden with his second wife, the British citizen Antoinette Gardiner.
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Live Updates | Jordan's royal weddingAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The Latest on the royal wedding in Jordan of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Alseif: Excitement has gripped Jordan over the royal wedding and preparations for the nightlong celebrations are underway.
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Jordan's crown prince weds scion of Saudi family in ceremony packed with stars and symbolismExcitement over the nuptials - Jordan's biggest royal event in decades - has been building in the capital of Amman, where congratulatory banners of Hussein and his beaming bride adorn buses and hang over winding hillside streets.
Read more »
Jordan's crown prince weds scion of Saudi family in ceremony packed with stars and symbolismJordan's crown prince married the scion of a prominent Saudi family in a palace ceremony attended by royals and other VIPs from around the world, as massive crowds gathered across the kingdom to celebrate the region's newest power couple.
Read more »
Jordan's crown prince weds scion of Saudi family in ceremony packed with stars and symbolismExcitement over the nuptials - Jordan's biggest royal event in decades - has been building in the capital of Amman, where congratulatory banners of Hussein and his beaming bride adorn buses and hang over winding hillside streets.
Read more »
Jordan's future king, Saudi bride to tie the knot in palace ceremony signaling continuity of ruleThe future king of Jordan and an architect from Saudi Arabia linked to her country’s own monarchy are getting married in a palace celebration that introduces him to the world. Thursday's nuptials also emphasize continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability. The union of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Alseif seals the Western ally’s succession and refreshes the royal family’s image after a palace feud. It may even help resource-poor Jordan forge a strategic bond with its oil-rich neighbor, Saudi Arabia. Excitement over the wedding has been building in the capital of Amman. Shops had competing displays of royal regalia. Royal watchers speculated about which dress designer Alseif would select.
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