Princess Muna al-Hussein
| Muna | |
|---|---|
 Princess Muna with sons Faisal and Abdullah (right) in 1964 | |
| Princess consort of Jordan | |
| Tenure | 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1972 |
| Born |
Antoinette Avril Gardiner 25 April 1941 Chelmondiston, Suffolk, England |
| Spouse |
King Hussein (m. 1961; div. 1972) |
| Issue |
King Abdullah II Prince Faisal Princess Aisha Princess Zein |
| House | Hashemite (by marriage) |
| Father | Walter Percy Gardiner |
| Mother | Doris Elizabeth Sutton |
| Jordanian royal family |
|---|
 |
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Extended royal family
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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. She was the second wife of King Hussein; the couple divorced on 21 December 1972. She is British by birth, and changed her name to Muna al-Hussein upon marriage.
Early life
Toni Gardiner was born in Chelmondiston, the daughter of Doris Elizabeth (née Sutton) and Walter Percy Gardiner. She 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, where she was an A-grade field hockey player. The school closed when British Forces withdrew from Malaya.
Gardiner's father was a high-ranking British Army Officer stationed at Long Marston in Warwickshire in the 1960s.[2]
Marriage and children
Gardiner met the King of Jordan, Hussein, while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed his 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. The Jordanian constitution requires that any heir to the throne be born of a legitimate couple, and both parents should be Muslims.[3] She kept the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein after the divorce. Together they had four children:
- Abdullah (born 1962; now King Abdullah II of Jordan).
- Faisal (born 1963).
- Aisha (born 1968, twin of Princess Zein).
- Zein (born 1968, twin of Princess Aisha).
They were divorced on 21 December 1972. 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 activities
She 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]
Honours
National honours
-
Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali[6] - Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance, Special Class[6][7]
Foreign honours
-
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Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Beneficence[8][9] -
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Iranian Imperial Family: Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 2,500 year Celebration of the Persian Empire[10][11] -
Malaysia: Honorary Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Defender of the Realm[12] -
Romanian Royal Family: Extra Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown[13][14][15][16] -
Tunisia: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic[17][7]
References
- ↑ Princess Muna al-Hussein. hamgallery.com
- 1 2 Ewing, Richard (5 February 1999). "Prince's secretary mum who married a king". Coventy Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ↑ Chapter VI Part I, Article 28th of The Jordanian Constitution
- ↑ Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing. Kafd.jo. Retrieved on 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Princess Muna College". jrms.gov.jo.
- 1 2 Al-Hashimi Dynasty. Royal Ark. Retrieved on 28 July 2015.
- 1 2 Princess Muna wearing the Orders of the Supreme Renaissance and of the Republic
- ↑ Tripod
- ↑ Pinimg
- ↑ Pinimg
- ↑ Iran Politics Club
- ↑ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965." (PDF).
- ↑ Romania Regala
- ↑ Romania Regala
- ↑ Romania Regala
- ↑ Youtube
- ↑ Order of the Republic
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princess Muna. |
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid as queen consort |
Princess consort of Jordan 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1972 |
Succeeded by Alia al-Hussein as queen consort |