Princess Basma bint Talal

Princess Basma
Princess Royal
Spouse Timoor Daghestani
Walid Al Kurdi
Issue
Farah Daghestani
Ghazi Daghestani
Saad Al Walid
Zein Al Sharaf Al Walid
Father Talal of Jordan
Mother Zein al-Sharaf Talal
Born 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) (age 60)

Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan (born Amman, Jordan, on 11 May 1951) is the only daughter of the late King Talal I bin Abdullah and Queen Zain Al-Sharaf Talal of Jordan, sister of the late King Hussein I of Jordan and paternal aunt to the current King of Jordan, HM King Abdullah II. HRH Princess Basma is considered the Princess Royal of Jordan.

Contents

Background

Basma's father became King of Jordan two months after she was born as a result of the assassination in Jerusalem of her grandfather King Abdullah I. However, Talal was forced to abdicate as King for health reasons in 1952, when Basma was one year old. He lived on until 1972. Her mother was Queen Zein (1916–1994). After her father's abdication, her older brother King Hussein (1935–1999) ascended the throne, and her mother was Queen Regent until Hussein came of age in 1953.

Education

Jordanian Royal Family

HM Queen Noor

Extended royal family

Basma was educated at Ahliyyah School in Amman, then in England at Benenden School (where she was a friend of Princess Anne) and Oxford University, where she read Modern Languages.

In 2001, she was awarded a DPhil degree by Oxford University for a thesis entitled Contextualising development in Jordan: the arena of donors, state and NGOs.

Marriage and career

Basma first married Timoor Daghestani in 1970 and had two children together:

In the late 1970s they divorced and Basma went on to marry Walid Al Kurdi in 1980. They also had two children together:

Since the late 1970s, Basma has worked to promote human development, gender equity and children's charities. Through forums that include the United Nations, she contributes to the global debates on health, education, population and the environment.

Appointments

Honours

References