Princess Muna: News & Pictures

[zhontella]

Was Princess Muna British, and was she a queen too? Was she KH's 1st wife? If it was legal for him to have 4 wives at the same time, would that not have been easier than the multiple divorces?

[nicole]

King Hussain's frist marriage was arranged by his parents when he was just 17 or 18 I think. He married his distant cousin who was also a princess--princess Dina. They had one daughter princess Alia and then shortly after her birth divorced since they were both too young when they got married.

His second marriage was much later and he married a British woman by the name of Antionette Gardner--later given the name Princess Muna. She never became queen b/c she wasn't Arabic. They divorced after several years of marriage and after having 4 kids, King Abdullah, Princess Faisal and the twins princesses Aisha and Zain.

His third wife died--the beautiful Queen Alia and he later married Queen Noor aka Lisa Halaby. They adopted Abeer and had princess Haya and Ali. The queen died when Ali was around 2 years old.

The king was a modern man and didn't believe in multiple marriages.

Hope this answers your questions.
nicole

[Sean.~]

King Hussain's frist marriage was arranged by his parents when he was just 17 or 18 I think.  He married his distant cousin who was also a princess--princess Dina.  They had one daughter princess Alia and then shortly after her birth divorced since they were both too young when they got married.

She was actually only a Sharifa, not a princess (a title given to female descendants of the prophet within the extended Hashemite family). Sharif Dina Abdul Hamid was her name. She later married a gent named Assad and is currently residing in Egypt (IIRC). Anyway, she was a few years older than the King.

His second marriage was much later and he married a British woman by the name of Antionette Gardner--later given the name Princess Muna.  She never became queen b/c she wasn't Arabic.  They divorced after several years of marriage and after having 4 kids, King Abdullah, Princess Faisal and the twins princesses Aisha and Zain.

IMO, it wasn't that she wasn't Arab per se. It had more to do with her being British and it was more of a a timing. Remeber, this was the era of post-colonialism, Nasserism,Arab nationalism, the Arab Israeli conflict (many Arabs blamed the British for the Balfour decleration), nationalization of the Suez, the 1956 war against Egypt (Britain, France & Israel against Egypt), etc. Thus a British "Malika" would have offended Arab sensibilities.

The king was a modern man and didn't believe in multiple marriages.

At least not at once :))

[zhontella]

Originally posted by nicole@Nov 5th, 2003 - 3:25 pm
Hope this answers your questions.
nicole

Thanks, that helps put Princess Muna into some category. I suppose she is a closer part of the royal family now since she is the king's mother.

[abir]

Pictures dated on 2 October 2003.

Muna took part in an investiture ceremony to be given the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Polytechnical University of Valencia in Valencia.

Muna and the Rector of the Polytechnical University of Valencia, Jesus Nieto (R).

[abir]

Why do you think Muna doesn't dye her hair?
I think she could look better if she did, and also if she changed her hair cut.

[tipper]

Originally Posted by abir

Why do you think Muna doesn't dye her hair?
I think she could look better if she did, and also if she changed her hair cut.

I think she's far more beautiful than when she got married, she was not so pretty when young.

[abir]

Originally Posted by tipper

I think she's far more beautiful than when she got married, she was not so pretty when young.

How the late kH and Muna meet each other for the first time?

[tipper]

Originally Posted by abir

How the late kH and Muna meet each other for the first time?

Her father worked in Amman and she was a kind of employee for British Army Forces in Jordan, her dad was -what, a Major ?- something like that.....

[Savita]

I feel that Princess Muna deserves much more than just a mere spectator in the Royal game. Apart from being the King's mom, and a few charities to her name, there isn't really much for her to be involved in. Speculating about what her true feelings are for the JRF and whether she is still considered an outsider despite standing strong in the face of total rejection by her husband. It requires great courage to stand up and accept defeat by still staying in a foreign country and daily bear the stigma of being an unwanted wife and see her loved one in the arms of another. I salute Princess Muna for all that she had to bear and the least of what she got and to be fair to her was that her son KA was finally chosen to be the monarch.

[madonna23]

I think it's very admirable that she never asked for the title of "Queen." Of course, politics at the time didn't allow for her to be Queen but she certainly could have asked for the title later on in her marriage, when she had given birth to Abdullah. But she didn't and instead chose to stay in the background.

She seems like a very grounded person. I think she is also the only one of Hussein's wives who did not come from a wealthy background? Dina was of course born royalty; Alia came from a VERY prominent family as did Noor. Muna was the daughter of an army officer, correct?

She also seems to be close to her father as he attends lots of family functions with her.

[closesttoheaven]

Originally Posted by madonna23

I think it's very admirable that she never asked for the title of "Queen." Of course, politics at the time didn't allow for her to be Queen but she certainly could have asked for the title later on in her marriage, when she had given birth to Abdullah. But she didn't and instead chose to stay in the background.

She seems like a very grounded person. I think she is also the only one of Hussein's wives who did not come from a wealthy background? Dina was of course born royalty; Alia came from a VERY prominent family as did Noor. Muna was the daughter of an army officer, correct?

She also seems to be close to her father as he attends lots of family functions with her.

where from do you know that she never asked for the title?

[maryshawn]

When I thought Queen Dina was Princess and then Muna received the same designee, I assumed Muna was just following in the path of Dina--per King Hussein's thinking at that time. Now that I realize Dina was Queen, I wonder why Muna was not named Queen, as well. Perhaps it was because she did not come from money or the area..... But one of the more plausible explanations why KH made her Princess is that Roland Dallas, his biographer, explained KH was trying to downplay Muna's background as British. She was described as a muslim to his people just before the marriage but little else was said. The "chattering classes," aka the wealthier circles in Jordan, were rather cruel to Muna, calling her "the typist from Ipswich." In a way, I suppose, KH was trying to ruffle as few feathers as possible....or so I thought until I learned about Queen Dina.

In retrospect, it seems very thoughtless and unfeeling of KH to have three Queens--including one from the US--and not give Muna the same title. I agree that it must have hurt terribly to stand by and watch him whisk first Alia, then Lisa Halaby off their feet and make them Queens. I give her credit for standing by silently and with dignity, remaining in Jordan and raising their children--even providing him a shoulder to lean on after QA's death. I understand their divorce decree was quite clear she would retain her title as Princess.

I have no idea if she asked to be named Queen. The thought occured to me if KA could change that. It's been speculated that once Prince William becomes King, he might well restore the HRH to his mother, Princess Diana. Different countries, different rules--but she is, for all intents and purposes, she is Queen Mother. "Princess Mother" sounds silly and is not a title even used. If the country can have two Queens, why not a third? Dina, Queen Mother.

[Humera]

Princess Muna wasn't named Queen because she was British and at the time of her marriage, the political situation wouldnt allow it.
It was infact the King's ministers who advised him not to name her Queen.
a brief video about the wedding here (it mentions that the King, upon his ministers' advice, agreed not to name her Queen)
http://www.britishpathe.com/product_...SEIN+WEDS+TONI
click on "Download video" and fill out the required info. to watch the clip.

[madonna23]

I remember flipping through King Hussein's book (which he wrote while married to Muna, I think) and he mentioned how Muna never argued with him regarding the title of Queen - or something to that effect. I'm not quite sure since I just flipped through the book and it was some odd months, maybe even a year, ago.

Maybe someone else has read the book? I'm pretty sure it mentions that Muna never asked for the title of Queen and settled into her "behind-the-scenes" role comfortably.

[lil Monkey]

well if KH did divorce Princess Muna,she wouldn't be called princess nowadays she would have lost the title,but she never did,which means,he never divorced her, or well at least that's what I know.

[maryshawn]

So Dina lost her title, as well? I don't know. Did King Hussein petition for the divorce? I read they had been quarreling before she left for Egypt and some of the problems in their marriage occured because Dina was widely regarded as "an intellectual" who had a circle of like-minded friends. Some of their theories about how KH should rule did not sit well with him. I wonder if some of Dina's "well meaning" friends (insert sarcasm) reported back some inaccuracies about Dina to KH. That is what was implied in a book called "King Hussein" by an author whose name escapes me now. I have it put away in my room and will dig it out and try to write the associated paragraphs. It certainly might explain KH's fury--as one has to be very, very angry to keep Dina from her young daughter, and it just doesn't seem in keeping with his character.

Originally Posted by lil Monkey

well if KH did divorce Princess Muna,she wouldn't be called princess nowadays she would have lost the title,but she never did,which means,he never divorced her, or well at least that's what I know.

[Humera]

Originally Posted by lil Monkey

well if KH did divorce Princess Muna,she wouldn't be called princess nowadays she would have lost the title,but she never did,which means,he never divorced her, or well at least that's what I know.

not necessarily. King Hussein would've allowed her to keep the title of Princess because she was the mother of 4 of his kids including his first son.
Just like when Princess Diana was divorced she was allowed to keep the title of Princess. Other royal women have also kept their titles in some form after a divorce, more recently, Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Isnt Princess Firyal divorced as well?

[lil Monkey]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

not necessarily. King Hussein would've allowed her to keep the title of Princess because she was the mother of 4 of his kids including his first son.
Just like when Princess Diana was divorced she was allowed to keep the title of Princess. Other royal women have also kept their titles in some form after a divorce, more recently, Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Isnt Princess Firyal divorced as well?

well,my knowledge is humble when it comes to royal issues,but I THINK,I am not sure,the Jordanian constitution states that when the king divorces his wife she looses the title.
I know Queen DIna did loose the title ,cuz she remarried after KH.