Princess Muna: Current Events 1

[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.

 

[Safaa Batin]

princess muna hosts iftar banquet for people work in nursing sector

princess muna hosts iftar banquet for people work in nursing sector

 

[Lyonnaise]

AMMAN, JORDAN: Princess Mona Al-Hussein, mother of Jordan's king Abdullah II, and French ambassador to Jordan Jean-Michel Casa inaugurate an exhibition in Amman late 15 December 2004, to mark the 40th anniversary of King Hussein and Princess Mona's state visit to France, in 1964, when they were received by president Charles de Gaulle. The exhibition presents photos of the visit, as well as dresses worn by Princess Mona and a reconstitution of the table where the royal couple had dinner at the Elysee palace.

 

[kinneret5764]

AMMAN, JORDAN: Princess Mona Al-Hussein, mother of Jordan's king Abdullah II, and French ambassador to Jordan Jean-Michel Casa inaugurate an exhibition in Amman late 15 December 2004, to mark the 40th anniversary of King Hussein and Princess Mona's state visit to France, in 1964, when they were received by president Charles de Gaulle. The exhibition presents photos of the visit, as well as dresses worn by Princess Mona and a reconstitution of the table where the royal couple had dinner at the Elysee palace.

I'm glad she's finally beginnning to get some of the spotlight. A great injustice was done to her by K. Hussein: when he did not name her "Queen" after their marraige and when he divorced her without cause to marry Q. Alia. P. Muna remained fatihfully in the background caring for her children, and even stepping in to care for Q. Alia's children after she died. She also had to endure the Q. Noor years; and the slight from Q. Zein that her son KA, was not good enough to be king because he was half-English. These are terrible things to endure but she did so gracefully and without a fuss. It's her time now, let her enjoy it.

 

[Safaa Batin]

From the "Hussein-de gaulle..." exhibition:
the gowns and coats of p Muna in first visit to france ,

 

[abir]

Muna

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]

Muna

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.

 

[Balqis]

more from the exhibition

WOW thanks for the pics, Safaa Batin. Was this King Hussein's first and only state visit to France?

 

[Safaa Batin]

WOW thanks for the pics, Safaa Batin. Was this King Hussein's first and only state visit to France?

it is the first, but i don't think it was the only.

 

[tipper]

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]

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]

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.....

 

[elizahawthorne]

King Abdallah's mother...

...


Princess Muna celebrates birthday today

AMMAN (Petra) — HRH Princess Muna celebrates her birthday today. With a strong personal interest in issues of health and social welfare, Princess Muna has spent a good part of her life contributing to community welfare programmes and benefit campaigns for the needy, orphaned and the disabled.

Today she stands at the helm of the nursing and midwifery sector in Jordan.

Born Toni Gardiner in the UK, Princess Muna first settled in Jordan in 1960 with her father army Lt. Col. Walter Percy Gardiner and his wife Doris.

She was married to His Majesty the late King Hussein in 1961. The couple had four children: His Majesty King Abdullah and Their Royal Highnesses Prince Faisal, Princess Zein and Princess Aisha.

The Princess has devoted much of her energies in establishing a solid foundation for healthcare in the Kingdom, steering national endeavours to upgrade nursing and midwifery standards.

That role began with the establishment of the Princess Muna College of Nursing in 1962.

Having worked to affiliate the Princess Muna College of Nursing with the University of Muta in 1988, the Princess offered a model for other universities to follow.

Today, eight nursing colleges exist in universities around the country, with 45 people now holding PhDs in the field of nursing.

Princess Muna has repeatedly underlined the need to begin research in nursing and training to upgrade medical services.

She attributed the shortage of nurses to a lack of training programmes designed according to international criteria.

The Princess is also honorary adviser to the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Nursing Development and also patron of WHO Nursing and Midwifery in the Middle East and Mediterranean, which has 22 member countries.

The Princess is the president of the Nursing Council, which is entrusted with creating and implementing national health strategies relating to nursing, while upgrading and regulating the profession.

Monday, April 25, 2005

​

link:
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/homenews/homenews3.htm


-Eliza

PS: I wasn't able to check the papers yesterday, if somebody found something on P Iman's b-day please post in the P Iman and P Raiyah thread....thanx

 

[Reina]

Also these of Pmuna: www.who.int/multimedia/ Al-Hussein3/photo.html

 

[Reina]

PMuna www.who.int/multimedia/ Al-Hussein3/photo.html

 

[Lilygal]

Lovely pics of Princess Muna, she is so elegant and excellent choice of clothes. King Abdullah should conider making her Queen Mother.

 

[Roshanah]

Lovely pics of Princess Muna, she is so elegant and excellent choice of clothes. King Abdullah should conider making her Queen Mother.

Don't mean to offend but the Jordanian Constitution will not allow it. This was (if I'm correct) due to Queen Zein , placing a condition that those whom hold Monarchial titles within Jordan must be Arab.

No offence meant by my comments.

 

[Lilygal]

Muna was'nt made Queen because at the ttime she married King Hussein there was a lot of of anti-British feling prevelant in Jordan. That's why the King felt it would be better for her to adopt the title 'Princess'

 

[mirsada]

Princess Muna at graduation from Petra News

 

[maryshawn]

In every book I've read on King Hussein, it says he divorced Princess Muna in 1972 two months before marrying Alia Toukan, who became Queen Alia. In Roland Dallas' book, King Hussein: A Life on the Edge," he states: "Alia met the King in 1972 when she was working on a trip that the King was making on Royal Jordanian. At that time, by one account, the King and Muna were estranged and living apart. By another account, their divorce had been decided, a surprise that was not sought or wanted by Muna. Her version of events is not available; as part of the divorce settlement she undertook not to make it public."

In another commerative book on King Hussein after his death and released by the KHF, it states he and Princess Muna were divorced in 1972.

I don't think King Hussein had multiple wives at the same time. QN doesn't really address the issue except to say in her book she tried to approach the whole extended family issue in an idealistic way, "including all the children and former wives at family gatherings."

 

[Savita]

Due Respects

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]

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_display.php?searchword=HUSSEIN+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.