King Hussein, his wives & children: their relationships with each other

[Humera]

Originally Posted by RADKER18

just got interested in Queen Noor is she close to Princess Haya and vice versa?

they seem to have a very complicated relationship. You might want to have a look at the old Princess Haya thread for a more recent disscussion on the subject: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...1&page=8&pp=20
(Pages 8 and 9)

Princess Haya and Prince Ali apparently harbour some resentment towards Noor since King Hussein married her soon (I think a year) after the death of Queen Alia. I find it odd that Haya and perhaps Ali have this attitude towards Noor and not towards their father who was, after all, the one who asked Noor to marry him.
When King Hussein was alive, Haya and Ali publicly spoke warmly of Queen Noor. But since his death their relationship has seemed to cooled off. Some people have said that Noor wasnt a warm step-mother. But then she doesnt come across as a particularly maternal person (like Queen Rania for example). Ofcourse that doesnt mean she wasnt capable of being loving.
I think its safe to say that whatever relationship and level of interaction Haya and Noor had with each other has diminished significantly since King Hussein's death. Noor wasn't at Haya's wedding, nor the wedding of her brother Prince Ali.

[closesttoheaven]

Originally Posted by ~*~Humera~*~

they seem to have a very complicated relationship. You might want to have a look at the old Princess Haya thread for a more recent disscussion on the subject: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...1&page=8&pp=20
(Pages 8 and 9)

Princess Haya and Prince Ali apparently harbour some resentment towards Noor since King Hussein married her soon (I think a year) after the death of Queen Alia. I find it odd that Haya and perhaps Ali have this attitude towards Noor and not towards their father who was, after all, the one who asked Noor to marry him.
When King Hussein was alive, Haya and Ali publicly spoke warmly of Queen Noor. But since his death their relationship has seemed to cooled off. Some people have said that Noor wasnt a warm step-mother. But then she doesnt come across as a particularly maternal person (like Queen Rania for example). Ofcourse that doesnt mean she wasnt capable of being loving.
I think its safe to say that whatever relationship and level of interaction Haya and Noor had with each other has diminished significantly since King Hussein's death. Noor wasn't at Haya's wedding, nor the wedding of her brother Prince Ali.

i have to agree with your first lines - with their father ect. !
i think shes very maternal.dont know why.but when you look at her when shes together with children.she seems very maternal.
a german doctor said once when he visited a children hospital with her - she had tears in her eyes and spoke with every child and was very lovely.
so who knows... she always cares not to talk about her family her children and so on in the public.and thats why she seems cold i think.but she isnt i think.... dont know :)

[Lilygal]

King Hussein played the favouritism card where his children were concerned, he was mostly influenced by his wives over time. His children from previous marriages were also over shadowed or removed from the picture when he married again.

Haya and Ali were rarely seen in any pics with their father once he had chilren with Queen Noor, eventhough they were still toddlers themselves.

I read once on a forum here that when Queen Alia was alive she was particularly interested in making Ali crown prince. This goes to show how easily King Hussein was swayed by his wives.

[closesttoheaven]

Originally Posted by Lilygal

King Hussein played the favouritism card where his children were concerned, he was mostly influenced by his wives over time. His children from previous marriages were also over shadowed or removed from the picture when he married again.

Haya and Ali were rarely seen in any pics with their father once he had chilren with Queen Noor, eventhough they were still toddlers themselves.

I read once on a forum here that when Queen Alia was alive she was particularly interested in making Ali crown prince. This goes to show how easily King Hussein was swayed by his wives.

do you really think that?!
maybe he was naive - but he WAS NOT STUPID!!!
it was his decision - not QAs or QNs.

that abdullah became king - and hamza became crown prince was at first only his decision and second his and his sons decision.
thats known too.....

[Alicky]

I don't think of King Hussein as naive at all. He would have been a very dithering, unaware and gullible person to have something like his successor be chosen by a wife for which he showed little regard. In order for those sort of machinations to take place, he would have had to have been very unsure, shilly-shally and indecisive, but by all accounts he was a decisive, firm, commanding and authoritative person. I don't think anyone could have pulled a major fast one like this over him (unless we're talking about the sort of calculations that could have occured when he was consumed by cancer in his final days).

Besides, Alia doesn't fit the profile of the manipulator, it was her biggest wish to go off and live anonymously with her husband and children, to have a happy home life. She found it so difficult to cope with her husband being King, I don't think she, for her sake or her son's, would have been lobbying overtime to secure Ali as the next king.

[Roshanah]

True She did. The hope is now that KH's (Children irresepective of favouritism during their infancy) pull together now that their Father is gone. It seems that more within the Jordanian Royal Family was damaged with the passing of KH. Maybe that point wasn't fully addressed. All I know is that since his death the family aren't the sam; it seems as if he were their foundation and they hadn't prepared themselves for the day (though sad) when their 'Foundation' went away. I hope that they can get along, Jordan more than everneeds them to be a united Family.

[emily62_1]

Originally Posted by closesttoheaven

well.maybe we havent seen any picture with qn at their weddings but that doesnt mean she hasnt been there!
and where do you know that she has many portraits of them in her home?!
i never saw her home anywhere!
i say - maybe im wrong but .... there are always rumors!

can't understand why u are always thinking that everything I say about JRF is a rumour, well, the journalist , who interviewed Hayah, back in 1999, in Germany, wrote that she had many portraits in her home, but not a single 1 of QN, hope u'll show more respect for me from now on, I'm really getting tired of your attitude, when u post a message, I treat u with respect, just as I do with all the other members of this Forum.

[Little_star]

"Princess Haya and Prince Ali apparently harbour some resentment towards Noor since King Hussein married her soon (I think a year) after the death of Queen Alia. I find it odd that Haya and perhaps Ali have this attitude towards Noor and not towards their father who was, after all, the one who asked Noor to marry him. "

I don't think that's surprising as such, in most circumstances children will recent the "new parent". After all they wouldn't want to alienate their father.

[Alicky]

That and the extraordinary circumstances that they were all in, being the royal family, would magnify their problems. Even if there wasn't the feuding, it still would have been a very difficult situation. Three children who lost a mother having to share their father, who had a full time job as King, with a new wife and four new children and then boarding school. I don't understand how these children each got the "adequate""continuing" and "individual attention in a meaningful way" that every child needs to feel secure and to develope emotionally healthy.

[closesttoheaven]

Originally Posted by emily62_1

can't understand why u are always thinking that everything I say about JRF is a rumour, well, the journalist , who interviewed Hayah, back in 1999, in Germany, wrote that she had many portraits in her home, but not a single 1 of QN, hope u'll show more respect for me from now on, I'm really getting tired of your attitude, when u post a message, I treat u with respect, just as I do with all the other members of this Forum.

i treat you with respect - but I SAY ALWAYS - I THINK - and you tell like you know all - and thats why i discuss.i never treat you bad - i ask only where do you know and i never read this interview....

i think its very difficult to say always its that fact or thats fact.so im asking myself - where do you know this all!

and so i dont think that i dont treat you with respect!

[closesttoheaven]

Originally Posted by Alicky

That and the extraordinary circumstances that they were all in, being the royal family, would magnify their problems. Even if there wasn't the feuding, it still would have been a very difficult situation. Three children who lost a mother having to share their father, who had a full time job as King, with a new wife and four new children and then boarding school. I don't understand how these children each got the "adequate""continuing" and "individual attention in a meaningful way" that every child needs to feel secure and to develope emotionally healthy.

yes im asking myself too!
its very difficult give four children the attention they need.
how can a father - whos king - give more than 10 children the attention...very difficult.
maybe that explains that QN maybe gave her four children more attention because she wanted them to have all the attention she can give them (when it was this way that she gave them more attention).

[maryshawn]

It's unfortunate that there appears to be some animosity--but not with all the children. Some of the nicest, IMO, Abir and Prince Feisal were cited by QN in her book for their contributions. And KA read the book and let it go with minor edits (for security reasons, QN said). Haya and Ali seem to bear the most resentment--just by appearances--toward QN. I don't think KH helped the situation marrying QN so soon after their mother's death and, even a really nice person who is well-intentioned, can become the focus of a stepchild's resentment. Too many wives, too many children....as much as I like KH, it just makes for a complicated mix, which I don't think he thought through at the time. He clearly needed a wife but his children didn't need a new "mother." QN wrote: "Perhaps everyone would have been happier without a new wife to use as family scapegoat." So she clearly felt the vibes being sent in her direction.

One question I am not sure about; I'd read Haya, Ali and Abir were adopted by QN, then I read this did not happen. QN doesn't say it happened per se in her book. Does anyone know the answer?

Originally Posted by Little_star

"Princess Haya and Prince Ali apparently harbour some resentment towards Noor since King Hussein married her soon (I think a year) after the death of Queen Alia. I find it odd that Haya and perhaps Ali have this attitude towards Noor and not towards their father who was, after all, the one who asked Noor to marry him. "

I don't think that's surprising as such, in most circumstances children will recent the "new parent". After all they wouldn't want to alienate their father.

[maryshawn]

With QN and QA, it kind of seems KH, possibly in a desire to please them--and, again, not thinking things through--lavished lots of affection on their first born sons--Ali and Hamzah. Ali was named CP for a very short while and we all know what happened with Hamzah. While I believe QN would've lobbied for Hamzah, I don't think QA did for Ali, simply for the reasons you cite. By the time she died, she had had it with life in the royal bubble and spoke to friends about wanting to run away and live in London. I'd always thought she was loved by most people but she did have enemies--as she told Margaret Trudeau--and it was making her "increasingly nervous"--not only about people's feelings toward her but her husband's thoughts. She was pleased she had started building the Princess Haya Centre but said to Mrs. Trudeau "Hussein will be so angry." It's kind of a sad tale actually in so many ways. But she always put on a good face no matter what--which is one of the reasons I respect her so.

Originally Posted by Alicky

I don't think of King Hussein as naive at all. He would have been a very dithering, unaware and gullible person to have something like his successor be chosen by a wife for which he showed little regard. In order for those sort of machinations to take place, he would have had to have been very unsure, shilly-shally and indecisive, but by all accounts he was a decisive, firm, commanding and authoritative person. I don't think anyone could have pulled a major fast one like this over him (unless we're talking about the sort of calculations that could have occured when he was consumed by cancer in his final days).

Besides, Alia doesn't fit the profile of the manipulator, it was her biggest wish to go off and live anonymously with her husband and children, to have a happy home life. She found it so difficult to cope with her husband being King, I don't think she, for her sake or her son's, would have been lobbying overtime to secure Ali as the next king.

[maryprincessroyal]

I've just read on Princess Hayah's website, the new official 1, that abir, adoptive child of the late KH and the late QA, works as a Governess in Washington DC, since 1994, maybe i'm a bit old- fashioned, but I'm so surprised, I thought she worked for US Gov! An adoptive child of a king works as a governess? She has got a degree, I bet it was her own choice, though- she must love so much the kids, but why not working as a teacher, well, maybe being a Governess is not so bad as in my old country in old Europe, I can c that standards are a bit different btw Italy and US, but how is it considered this in Jordan ? Couldn't she work for Jordan Embsassy in Wash DC?

[snow]

i simply adore the jordanian royal family( all of late king hussein's children),and im not jordanian and not even an arab! god bless them all.