Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath: News and Picture Thread, Part 1

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

I really appreciate learning more about this couple from the articles and profiles posted in this thread.

Here's an interesting article about then C.P. Hassan and the relationship he had with his brother, KH.

From "Time" magazine, October 12, 1998

Stepping in for the Ailing King is a Prince Politically Similar But Very Different in Style
By Lisa Beyer, Amman

They both know that the time will come when the younger brother will have to step into his older brother's role as King. And they both dread it--Hussein, 62, because it will mean his time on this earth will be over; the younger man, Crown Prince El-Hassan bin Talal, because he will inevitably be compared with his suave, preternaturally charming brother, because he will have lost not just his sibling but his mentor and closest friend, because succeeding as King of Jordan will become a test of the national unity and identity that is virtually synonymous with his brother, the man who built modern Jordan during 46 years on the throne. Most difficult of all, it will mean that Hassan must rule without the kind of utterly trustworthy, self-abnegating second-in-command he has been for his brother. He will have to do it alone. With Hussein in an American hospital for treatment of lymphoma and not expected to return to the Middle East for at another two more months, despite a good prognosis, Hassan is currently running the country, but in close consultation with the ailing king. In a way, it is a kind of practice run for his succession, although he and the rest of the royal family believe that the king will resume the throne after successful medical treatment. The crown prince is weary of the inevitable comparisons with his charismatic older brother. He acknowledges that he is not as smooth and radiant as Hussein but, he wonders, why should he be? "What are we?" Hassan was recently overheard to ask: "A family of clones?"

They are not that, though the prince has stepped carefully in the King's shadow for the 33 years he has served as official understudy. The two share the same basic political values: moderation, a Western bent, a fervent embrace of peace. But as individuals, they are more disparate than kindred. While the King is a master of instinct, the prince is a bookish sort. Hussein is patient and given to indirection, Hassan restless, driven and blunt.

The latter qualities may have something to do with a life spent in the second chair. By law, Hussein's heir should have been his eldest son. In the first decade of Hussein's rule, however, his first two sons were considered ineligible because their mother was British. Anxious for an heir apparent, Hussein amended the constitution in 1965 and on Hassan's 18th birthday, named him crown prince. Later Hussein had three more sons, all potential Kings, stirring speculation that the succession remained open. But speaking in August from the U.S., the King declared the matter closed, muting the rumors by again declaring that Hassan will be his successor.

Despite his early call to duty, Hassan, 51, managed to obtain a formidable education. That was a privilege denied Hussein, who was proclaimed King at age 16 after his father Talal, was dethroned because of mental illness. In the absence of Talal--hospitalized in Istanbul, where he died in 1972, Hussein took on a paternal role in the life of Hassan, who was only five when their father departed. Hussein sent Hassan to England's prestigious Harrow School and then to Oxford University's Christ Church College, where he received a B.A. and an M.A. in oriental studies, specializing in Arabic and Hebrew. Hebrew was an unorthodox choice at the time but a farsighted one, given Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Hassan also knows English, French, German and Turkish.

After the disastrous Six-Day War in 1967, Hassan took charge of rebuilding Jordan's economy and settling Palestinian refugees. On economic issues, he is passionate and smart. "He likes to call people in to talk about tariff reduction," says a Western diplomat in Amman. "He's fascinated by details, whereas the king's eyes will glaze over." In 1972, Hassan established the Royal Scientific Society, a think tank that has produced some of Jordan's leading economic experts. A proponent of IMF-style adjustments, Hassan currently oversees a program of cautious reform, including price decontrols and bank liberalizations.

Ever since Hussein's previous cancer scare, in 1992, which cost him a kidney, the King has turned over more responsibility to his brother. The palace has worked on showcasing Hassan and improving his aloof image. No longer does the prince approach crowds with his hands behind his back, as he once did. Now, his arms are outstretched in the manner of the King--and a politician. "These days he can glad-hand like the best of them," says the diplomat. But, says a palace official, "the King relates to the people instinctively, while Hassan tries to understand them always through his mind. When Hussein goes into a Bedouin tent, he enters as if he's a member of the family. Hassan goes in as a very polite guest."

Hassan's erudition and braininess can be handicaps. He is difficult to follow in dialogue, not just because of his high-speed, rumbling delivery but also because of the breadth of his conversational span. He bounces from one subject to another without pause. "You'll never get a superficial sound bite out of him," says an aide. "He immediately goes deep into substance." A longtime associate of Hassan's says he has not once managed to surprise the prince with a piece of news; Hassan has always learned it first, from an aide, the media or the Internet.

A short barrel of a man with a weakness for Big Macs, Hassan pushes himself through rigorous physical exercise. "Maneuvers," his family calls them. He works out in his home gym and plays polo with the army team.

While the King, with his Casanova appeal, is wed to his fourth wife, the U.S.-born Lisa Halaby, Hassan's personal life has been conventional. He met his Pakistani wife, the energetic Princess Sarvath, in London when both were 11 and he gave her measles. The two have three daughters and a son Rashid, 19, a potential heir to the throne. Hassan made time for bedtime stories, reading the girls The Scarlet Pimpernel before they were school age.

The family lives in the royal compound in Amman in an elegant but relatively modest stone house. Like Hussein, perhaps more so, Hassan avoids ostentation. Both brothers do their own driving. Hassan is an observant Muslim who attends the mosque and frequently cites Koranic verses. The Hashemites, descendants of the Sharifs of Mecca, base their legitimacy on their direct lineage to the Prophet Muhammad. Hassan's life-style has facilitated amicable relations with the Muslim Brotherhood, the most important opposition faction in Jordan. He was also instrumental in repairing ties with Iran, strained over charges that Tehran was fomenting Islamic unrest in Jordan.

The Israelis regard Hassan in the same light as his brother--as a reliable, even warm ally. Like the King, however, he has been scathing at times in his criticisms of the current Israeli government's obstinacy toward the Palestinians. That has made Hassan well liked within Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. Periodically, the prince has mediated between the two sides. Within Jordan, Hassan has been viewed with suspicion by the majority of the population made up of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. This distrust baffles and disturbs the prince, but it has lessened over time. Today there are key Palestinians among his close aides.

Hassan likes big ideas. He harps on the need for a regional conflict-resolution center for the Middle East. He complains about the pre-eminence of "politics over policy." He lambastes the industrialized countries for valuing the oil of the Middle East over its people. He decries "the deification of leadership" and supports meritocracy, at least so long as it does not conflict with royal entitlements. He is also a proponent of the slow democratization process begun by the King. Recently, though, he signed into law controversial regulations restricting press freedoms.

The prince is famously irritable. Stupid comments earn snide retorts. In 1973, when Jordan was debating whether to enter the October War against Israel, an adviser to the King asserted that Jordanian blood must be spilled, to which Hassan replied, "So long as it is not yours, I suppose." Says a senior Jordanian official: "If you disagree with the King, he will never make you feel he is angry. With Hassan, you know he's not happy."

Some of these distinctions are choreographed. Over the years, the King and the prince have developed a deliberately complementary partnership. Hussein plays the role of the beaming, benevolent father, while Hassan is the disciplinarian, even if it makes him unloved. Hussein will receive a delegation of functionaries, clap them on the back and tell them they've done a fine job. Then he'll phone Hassan, complain about their shortcomings and instruct his brother to sort it out.

Hassan doesn't seem to mind the job of royal cleanup man because he is as ambitious for his country as he is for himself. He regards the emerging peace in the Middle East--however flawed--as a green light to proceed apace with building a modern, thriving Jordan. Getting there, he believes, will require a certain belligerence on the part of the leadership. If that makes him not Hussein, it is fine by Hassan.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by shelley

Am I the only person with my obvious P. Hassan bias, to think it odd that the Jordan Times cannot mention that he was Crown Prince for 35 years ? I wonder what the contemporary Jordanian history books will say ?

Gees, good catch, Shelley. In my elation to see The Jordan Times dedicate a full article with photo to him on his birthday, I overlooked the obvious. It's like the newspaper is giving him a congratulatory pat on the back with one hand and a stab in the front with the other. :(

Don't know what the history books will say, but I hope whoever researches and writes them digs below the surface spin and is fair and objective. If that happens, I think P. Hassan will be cast in the proper light and given credit for his many contributions to Jordan and Jordanians.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

I have a question about Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath's relationship with other royal households. It seems to me that this couple has developed/established numerous friendships with other royals, such as Queen Beatrix (they were invited to a predominantly wedding for Johan and Mabel) and to Felipe and Letizia's wedding even though Queen Rania was already representing Jordan. What is the relationship between Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath with these other royals since King Hussein changed the succession (if it has changed at all)? And does anyone know the reaction of various royals when they learned of the change in Jordanian succession?

It doesn't seem to me (although I guess this could be a different thread entirely) that the present reigning royals have the same close friendship they share with Prince Hassan, Princess Sarvath and Queen Noor with King Abdullah and Queen Rania and that the present King and Queen aren't invited to as many more private royal celebrations than their uncle, aunt and step-mother. Am I wrong in this perception?

I think you are correct in your observations about P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's close relationships with some of the other royal families, and it is very astute of you to notice that such does not seem to be the case vis-a-vis KA and QR. I could be wrong, but I think P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's relationships with the other royals more than withstood all the succession chaos, which speaks volumes about this couple. Maybe others know more?!

[papillon]

Originally Posted by elizahawthorne

HRH Prince Hassan's sister, HRH Princess Basma participated in Mother's Day celebrations today, here are the links to the pictures:

photo 1:
http://207.228.233.96/nepras/2005/Mar/20/2236I.htm

photo 2:
http://207.228.233.96/nepras/2005/Mar/20/2238I.htm


-Eliza

Maybe someone should start a thread for P. Basma. She is out and about quite a bit.

[Genevieve]

Originally Posted by papillon

I think you are correct in your observations about P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's close relationships with some of the other royal families, and it is very astute of you to notice that such does not seem to be the case vis-a-vis KA and QR. I could be wrong, but I think P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's relationships with the other royals more than withstood all the succession chaos, which speaks volumes about this couple. Maybe others know more?!

King Abdullah is a separate matter for me. I can't quite seem to pinpoint how I feel about him exactly.

But I truly find it difficult to see Rania fitting in with her "peers" such as Queen Beatrix, Queen Sofia, Queen Elizabeth II, and the other monarchs. It's not just a matter of age (Princess Sarvath of course being closer in age to these monarchs than Queen Rania) but I think it's a matter of an approach to their roles that is the most stark between Rania and her "peers." Perhaps it is inexperience on Rania's part as these other women have been in their roles for decades, but in truth, I think a lot of it has to do with Rania herself.

From pictures of royal gatherings like Felipe and Letizia's wedding for example, there seems to be a distinct desire or attempt by Rania to upstage everyone, even her hosts, or on this occasion, the bride herself. Was it just me or did anyone else find it odd that all the ladies in attendance wore knee-length skirts, jackets and hats while Rania wore a floor-length skirt more suitable for an evening occasion with a white blouse and no hat? Rania's mother-in-law, whom she was accompanied by was dressed approrpriately as was Princess Sarvath - it can't be that Rania didn't get the notice about the dress code for the Spanish wedding.

I think that while Princess Sarvath may have a lot more in common with the other royal ladies and through the years as Crown Princess has built a relationship with these women, ultimately the other royal women either don't care for or approve of Rania.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by shelley

Anyone who follows these threads must know that I am a firm believer that Prince Hassan and his family have been much maligned in recent years. I have the advantage of both being older than many members, so have been around that bit longer, reading and watching and listening, and I have lived in Jordan and have many contacts there. Have you looked in the old threads that are now locked, concerning the succession etc. when this was widely discussed by some of us - Papillion, Alia Musallam, and some others. You can get a general idea of another point of view from these posts.

Here are the links to two old, locked threads that might serve as good background reading for newer members who are interested in learning more about this couple:

HRH P. Hassan's thread

P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's thread

Shelley, am I just confused, or did we used to have a succession thread going? Just looked and couldn't find it.

I think these two have been badly maligned, also. :(

Regarding Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath's relationships with other royals. It was an open secret in Jordan that they had very close friendships with many European royals, who have remained firm friends. In many cases, they had deeper personal relationships than even the late king and his family, even Queen Noor. I remember that they would often have private invitations to Holland, Luxembourg, Britain, Germany, Spain and the Scandanavian countries, for shoots and birthdays and anniversaries and just spending time together as friends. Members of these royal families would come and stay in Jordan with the prince and princess and their family. I don't know if anyone can access Prince Edward's wedding photograph which was taken in 1999, just after the succession change, and Prince Hassan had pride of place in the photograph behind the bride and groom, between the groom's two brothers, and the Jordanian couple were the only non family members at Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations. The whole of Prince Hassan's family were invited to the Queen Elizabeth 11's "decades" party she gave for her mother, sister, daughter. I remember noticing that although King Hussein and Queen Noor were there, no other JRF members featured on theb guest list that was published. They were also the only JRF at the Aga Khan's parties for his and his daughter's weddings. I also noticed that only Prince Hassan's family were at the recent wedding of the Crown Prince of Qatar. Prince Hassan is often in Morocco, Bahrain and Qatar. So I guess the short answer to your question, is yes, I think they do have good personal relations with the foreign royals. I do not know the answer to why this is. They are both European educated, which must help as well and speak many Europeans lanaguages fluently between them . I know Princess Sarvath knew some of these families before her marriage, through her own family, so that perhaps helped as well. Anyway, I don't know why, but that is how it seems to aon interested observer. :)

I should've known you'd know wa-a-a-ay more about this than me. I don't know for certain why they seem to have better relationships with other royal families. But, just knowing about human nature, it must be that they are solid, likable people and know how to be good friends in return.

[elizahawthorne]

Originally Posted by papillon

Maybe someone should start a thread for P. Basma. She is out and about quite a bit.

I took your advice and did it

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Genevieve

But I truly find it difficult to see Rania fitting in with her "peers" such as Queen Beatrix, Queen Sofia, Queen Elizabeth II, and the other monarchs. It's not just a matter of age (Princess Sarvath of course being closer in age to these monarchs than Queen Rania) but I think it's a matter of an approach to their roles that is the most stark between Rania and her "peers." Perhaps it is inexperience on Rania's part as these other women have been in their roles for decades, but in truth, I think a lot of it has to do with Rania herself.

Me, too. I think these women probably don't view QR as an equal in anything other than title, and QR has done little to endear herself to them.

I think that while Princess Sarvath may have a lot more in common with the other royal ladies and through the years as Crown Princess has built a relationship with these women, ultimately the other royal women either don't care for or approve of Rania.

I suspect both are true. . .P. Sarvath is genuinely a friend to these women; QR may be actually alienating them by trying to upstage them on superficial matters and lacking in sensitivity and skill on more substantive matters.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by elizahawthorne

I took your advice and did it

Good. . .she deserves her own place on the forum.

[elizahawthorne]

Originally Posted by papillon

Good. . .she deserves her own place on the forum.

yes, she's not just Prince Hassan's sister, she's very much her own woman and a hardworking on at that.

[elizahawthorne]

Marriage of Prince Constantijn *1969
of The Netherlands
and
Miss Laurentien Brinkhorst
on May 18, 2001

http://www.worldroots.com/brigitte/g...her1969-76.jpg

prince hassan and princess sarvath

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by papillon

Here's an interesting article about then C.P. Hassan and the relationship he had with his brother, KH.

From "Time" magazine, October 12, 1998

Stepping in for the Ailing King is a Prince Politically Similar But Very Different in Style
By Lisa Beyer, Amman

Thanks for this article papillon; it was really enlightening and very educational for me. Reading it, I couldn't help but think how different Jordan might be and discussions related to the Jordanian royal family might be were Prince Hassan the King.

Originally Posted by papillon

Hassan's erudition and braininess can be handicaps. He is difficult to follow in dialogue, not just because of his high-speed, rumbling delivery but also because of the breadth of his conversational span. He bounces from one subject to another without pause. "You'll never get a superficial sound bite out of him," says an aide. "He immediately goes deep into substance." A longtime associate of Hassan's says he has not once managed to surprise the prince with a piece of news; Hassan has always learned it first, from an aide, the media or the Internet.

I've always sensed a certain depthness to Prince Hassan from the images I have seen of his interactions witih other government leaders or heads of state. He does not seem impulsive or brash in his approach or his relationships with others. Everything seems to come from a place of deep thought and ponderance.

Originally Posted by papillon

While the King, with his Casanova appeal, is wed to his fourth wife, the U.S.-born Lisa Halaby, Hassan's personal life has been conventional. He met his Pakistani wife, the energetic Princess Sarvath, in London when both were 11 and he gave her measles. The two have three daughters and a son Rashid, 19, a potential heir to the throne. Hassan made time for bedtime stories, reading the girls The Scarlet Pimpernel before they were school age.

I love and am greatly impressed by the devotion of Prince Hassan to his family. While I have always liked King Hussein, his numerous marriages and ladies man appeal always made me think that his children must be losing out a little bit on a relationship with him. Cute story how Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath met, too! More than anything else I will ever read about Prince Hassan, that he made the time and effort to read to his children nightly says volumes about his character.

Originally Posted by papillon

The family lives in the royal compound in Amman in an elegant but relatively modest stone house. Like Hussein, perhaps more so, Hassan avoids ostentation.

How refreshing for royals to live humbly -- or relatively so. I'd like to think that even as King and Queen, they would live an ostentatious life, too. (No gold shoes for Princess Sarvath I bet.)

Originally Posted by papillon

Hassan doesn't seem to mind the job of royal cleanup man because he is as ambitious for his country as he is for himself. He regards the emerging peace in the Middle East--however flawed--as a green light to proceed apace with building a modern, thriving Jordan. Getting there, he believes, will require a certain belligerence on the part of the leadership. If that makes him not Hussein, it is fine by Hassan.

And in this paragraph, I think, Prince Hassan's professional desires in a nutshell. Not all heads of states are this driven for their own country; more often than not you see heads of states that are out to serve or further the purposes of themselves or their friends.

I'm really enjoying all that I am learning about Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath. The more I read about them the more impressed I am by them and the sadder I am that they aren't in their long-anticipated roles as King and Queen.

[Humera]

Originally Posted by papillon

I think you are correct in your observations about P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's close relationships with some of the other royal families, and it is very astute of you to notice that such does not seem to be the case vis-a-vis KA and QR. I could be wrong, but I think P. Hassan's and P. Sarvath's relationships with the other royals more than withstood all the succession chaos, which speaks volumes about this couple. Maybe others know more?!

I've noticed the same thing too. Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath have close relationships with most royal houses in Europe. They're seen at events that no other middle eastern royals are invited to. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the couple have had decades as former crown prince and princess to foster these friendships. Its kind of like how Queen Noor has particular friendships with certain royals, ie Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Beatrix. Time has a lot to do with it I think. It would be unrealistic to expect the same sort of thing from King Abdullah and Queen Rania. Besides the obvious age difference, the fact that they're the youngest reigning couple, there's also the fact that they've only been King and Queen for around 6 years while other monarchs have ruled for decades.
Finally, I think KA and QR have different personalities. I dont expect Queen Rania to befriend Queen Elizabeth, Margarethe, Silvia or Beatrix. These women might be equals in terms of their title but I doubt they have much else in common. Princess Sarvath, on the other hand, has known these women and interacted with them for much longer.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

Thanks for this article papillon; it was really enlightening and very educational for me. Reading it, I couldn't help but think how different Jordan might be and discussions related to the Jordanian royal family might be were Prince Hassan the King.

You're welcome, Alexandria. I often think of what might've/should've been, too, and it makes me really sad.

I've always sensed a certain depthness to Prince Hassan from the images I have seen of his interactions witih other government leaders or heads of state. He does not seem impulsive or brash in his approach or his relationships with others. Everything seems to come from a place of deep thought and ponderance.

I think this is due to his intelligence, education, and maturity. It's in stark contrast to what we see in the current leadership. Frankly, I feel a little safer with P. Hassan's style.

I love and am greatly impressed by the devotion of Prince Hassan to his family. While I have always liked King Hussein, his numerous marriages and ladies man appeal always made me think that his children must be losing out a little bit on a relationship with him. Cute story how Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath met, too! More than anything else I will ever read about Prince Hassan, that he made the time and effort to read to his children nightly says volumes about his character.

I think he is the complete package. He hasn't sold his family down the river for career purposes and, yet, he also has an impressive list of accomplishments and contributions to Jordan. He and his wife are very family oriented and stable, and how their children turned out is a testament to that. It has probably served them well to have met as children and grown up knowing each other's families. Has anyone else noticed on P. Hassan's Web site that he says among his favorite things is spending time with his family? Yeah, I know, a lot of people say that, but it's fairly obvious that P. Hassan really means it.

How refreshing for royals to live humbly -- or relatively so. I'd like to think that even as King and Queen, they would live an ostentatious life, too. (No gold shoes for Princess Sarvath I bet.)

I think you mean unostentatious?! Well, these two are seemingly more self assured, more mature (and I don't mean that in the euphemistic sense). I don't think either of them particularly needs the limelight and a lot of trappings to feel good about themselves. If P. Sarvath came upon gold shoes, she'd probably sell them on eBay and donate the proceeds to one of her causes.

And in this paragraph, I think, Prince Hassan's professional desires in a nutshell. Not all heads of states are this driven for their own country; more often than not you see heads of states that are out to serve or further the purposes of themselves or their friends.

It's true. These two are not the self-serving type. Even in the aftermath of the 1999 change in succession, when they probably had plenty to say about it, they stepped back, let KA take charge, and behaved with admirable, almost superhuman, dignity and grace. They suffered in silence and have never, as far as I can see, done anything to undermine KA's and QR's effectiveness in their roles. It's really, really quite remarkable.

I'm really enjoying all that I am learning about Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath. The more I read about them the more impressed I am by them and the sadder I am that they aren't in their long-anticipated roles as King and Queen.

They are people to admire. I'm one who thinks a big mistake was made when the succession was changed, so I share your sadness that they are not the current rulers of Jordan. Honestly, I think we'd all be better off, not just Jordanians.