Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein
Encyclopedia
Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan (born 29 March 1980) is the son of the late King Hussein of Jordan
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...

 from his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor al-Hussein. He was named Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

 of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

 in 1999, a position he held until it was rescinded in 2004 by his half-brother, King Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...

. Queen Noor states in her autobiography that she and King Hussein named their son after Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib
Hamza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib [b.568-d.625] was the paternal uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and his foster-brother. He and Muhammad were raised together as they were almost the same age. With excellence in the arts of wrestling and swordsmanship...

.

Official Biography

Born on 29 March 1980, His Royal Highness Prince Hamzah ibn Al Hussein is the 41st generation direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. His Majesty King Abdullah II officially named him as Crown Prince of the Hashemite
Hashemite
Hashemite is the Latinate version of the , transliteration: Hāšimī, and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...

 Kingdom of Jordan on 7 February 1999, a position he held until 28 November 2004.

Prince Hamzah received his elementary education in Jordan and Amman, and then attended Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...

 in England. He then joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

, passing out as a commissioned officer in the Jordan Arab Army in December 1999, with a number of prizes including the Sandhurst Overseas Sword, granted to the best overseas cadet and the HRH Prince Saud Abdullah Prize, presented to the cadet with the best aggregate mark in academic subjects.
Serving then as an officer in the Jordan Arab Army’s 40th Armored Brigade, Prince Hamzah attended a number of military courses and attachments in Jordan, the UK, Poland, Germany and the US. Currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Jordan Arab Army, he served with the Jordan-United Arab Emirates force operating in former Yugoslavia under the umbrella of international peacekeepers. In the year 2006, he graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

.

Prince Hamzah has also served his country in a number of other capacities; he was sworn in as Regent on numerous occasions and deputized for His Majesty King Abdullah II on a number of missions in the Kingdom and abroad. Prince Hamzah heads the Royal Advisory Committee on the Energy Sector. He is also the Honorary President of the Jordan Basketball Federation. HRH, who received a number of high decorations from Jordan and other countries, including Bahrain, Italy and the Netherlands, is also the Chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Automobile Museum, the President of the Royal Aero sports Club of Jordan and the President of Al-Shajarah (Tree) Protection Society.

Prince Hamzah is a qualified rotor & fixed wing aircraft pilot and enjoys other sports such as Jujitsu and target-shooting.

Education

The prince attended Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...

, a British independent school, and graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

. He also graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

, England. He is a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

 in the Arab Jordanian Army.

Succession issue

On 28 November 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince from his half-brother. In a letter from Abdullah to Hamzah, read on Jordanian state television, he said, "Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake." No successor to the title was named, but some analysts believed it probable that Abdullah intended to name his own son, Prince Hussein
Prince Hussein bin Al Abdullah II
Crown Prince Hussein bin Al Abdullah is the eldest child of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. Hussein is part of the Hashemite family and is also said to be a 44th-generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad....

, to succeed him at some point in the future.
On 2 July 2009 the King did so.

Marriage and family

Prince Hamzah married his 2nd cousin, Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, at Al Baraka Palace in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...

 on 29 August 2003. The official wedding was held on 27 May 2004. On 18 April 2007, the then Princess Noor Hamzah gave birth to the couple's only child, Princess Hayah bint Hamzah, in Amman, Jordan. Prince Hamzah and Princess Noor divorced on 9 September 2009.

He is of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

ian descent on his father's side and Scottish, English, Syrian, Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, Swedish, and American descent on his mother's side.

Personal Interests

Prince Hamzah's schedule of study, official duties, and military service leaves him little time for leisure activities. However, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as piloting helicopters, shooting, parachuting, sky diving, motorcycling, and practicing some water sports. Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...

 is among his interests.

He also spends time reading, particularly history books and biographies.

Ancestry



External links

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