Princess Muna al-Hussein
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Princess Muna al-Hussein (born Antoinette Avril Gardiner;[1] 25 April 1941) is the mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Until their divorce on 21 December 1971, she was the second wife of Hussein, the late king of Jordan. She is British by birth but in keeping with Islamic culture, she was renamed Muna al-Hussein upon her marriage. Early lifeGardiner attended Bourne School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was administered by the British Families Education Service for the children of British service personnel stationed overseas. The school closed when British forces withdrew from Malaya. Gardiner's father was a high ranking British Army officer and stationed at Long Marston in the 1960s.[2] Marriage and childrenGardiner met the king of Jordan, Hussein, while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The king had allowed troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to monitor the production's progress. However, there is another report, stating that Gardiner and the king met when her father began to work as a military adviser in Jordan.[2] Gardiner married king Hussein in Amman, Jordan, on 25 May 1961. She converted to Islam and was renamed Muna al-Hussein upon marriage,[3] and was given the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein on the birth of her first son on 30 January 1962. Together they had four children:
They were divorced on 21 December 1971. After her divorce, she was allowed to keep the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Jordan. She continues to work and live in Jordan. Causes and activitiesShe is involved in the development of nursing in Jordan, founding the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing.[4] In 1962, Princess Muna founded the Princess Muna College of Nursing, now the Princess Muna College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.[5] Positions and titles
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