Ra'ad bin Zeid
Encyclopedia
Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid (born 18 February 1936 in Berlin
where his father was Iraqi ambassador at the time) is the son of Prince Zeid
of the Hashemite
House and Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid
(Fakhr un-nisa), a Turkish noblewoman. Upon the death of his father on October 18, 1970, he inherited the position as head of the Royal Houses of Iraq
and Syria
. Ra'ad has lived in London
and Paris
.
The Kingdom of Jordan has confirmed his style as His Royal Highness and Prince.
and Ghazi of Iraq
.
Raad's paternal first cousin once removed was Faisal II, the last king of Iraq, who was killed in a bloody coup d'etat
on 14 July 1958 (Crown Prince Abd-al-Illah was also killed). Following the regicide, Prince Zeid, Raad's father, took the representation of Iraqi monarchy as the next heir, and was recognized as the Head of the Royal House of Iraq by his remaining agnatic co-heirs of Jordan. They continued to live in London
, where the family resided during the coup, as Zeid was the Iraq
i ambassador there.
Raad himself succeeded his father as all such at the latter's death in 1970 in exile in France
.
, Egypt
, and in Christ's College, Cambridge
. BA 1960, MA 1963.
In 1960s, prince Raad worked as academic researcher in Britain. After receiving his highest academic degree, he took the position of Chamberlain to the Royal Court of Jordan, in Amman, and afterwards has acted in civil administration and charitable organizations there.
Raad worked as an aide and a close confidant of kings Hussein
and Abdullah II of Jordan
.
, Sweden
, June 30, 1963 (civil), and at the Royal Palace, Amman
, on August 5, 1963, Swedish
-born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Raad, President of Al-Hussein Society and Director of Bandak Fdn., born in Arboga
on September 5, 1942, daughter of Sven Gustav Lind and wife Carin Inga Birgitta Gunlaug Grönwall, daughter of Assar Grönwall and wife, and an illegitimate descendant of the House of Vasa
. They have five children:
(a descendant of Hussein of Hejaz's granddaughter, sister and male cousin, but not in male line from king Hussein) who is another pretender
to the Iraqi throne and the leader of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy
.
The Iraqi Constitution (as amended in November 1943) sets rules of succession that stipulate:
Raad was born in 1936 as a subject of Iraqi monarchy and is regarded to fulfill the nationality requirement. Moreover, his father was at that time recognized as a Prince of Iraq, and was appointed Deputy Regent of Iraq, as well as acted occasionally as full regent during Faisal II's minority. He is a male-line descendant of Hussein of Hejaz aforementioned. According to the provisions of cited constitution, Raad is eligible to succeed in Iraq. No other senior in primogeniture itself (meaning in practice the dynasts of Jordan
, as all other lines have gone extinct), is asserting any claim to Iraq as obviously none of such are Iraqi nationals.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where his father was Iraqi ambassador at the time) is the son of Prince Zeid
Prince Zeid
Prince Zeid bin Hussein, GCVO, GBE born was a member of the Hashemite dynasty and the head of the Royal House of Iraq from 1958 until his death.-Biography:...
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...
House and Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid
Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid
Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid or Fakhr un-nisa was a Turkish artist whose work blended the elements of Islamic and Byzantine art from the East with abstract and other influences from the West...
(Fakhr un-nisa), a Turkish noblewoman. Upon the death of his father on October 18, 1970, he inherited the position as head of the Royal Houses of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Ra'ad has lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The Kingdom of Jordan has confirmed his style as His Royal Highness and Prince.
Early life
Prince Raad is an agnatic grandson of the late king Hussein of Hejaz, his father prince Zeid being king Hussein's youngest son. As such he is a first cousin of late kings Talal of JordanTalal of Jordan
Talal I bin Abdullah 26 February 1909 – 7 July 1972) was the second King of Jordan from 20 July 1951 until forced to abdicate in favour of his son Hussein due to health reasons on 11 August 1952....
and Ghazi of Iraq
Ghazi of Iraq
Ghazi bin Faisal was the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq from 1933 to 1939 having been briefly Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Syria in 1920...
.
Raad's paternal first cousin once removed was Faisal II, the last king of Iraq, who was killed in a bloody coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
on 14 July 1958 (Crown Prince Abd-al-Illah was also killed). Following the regicide, Prince Zeid, Raad's father, took the representation of Iraqi monarchy as the next heir, and was recognized as the Head of the Royal House of Iraq by his remaining agnatic co-heirs of Jordan. They continued to live in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where the family resided during the coup, as Zeid was the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i ambassador there.
Raad himself succeeded his father as all such at the latter's death in 1970 in exile in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Education and career
He was educated in AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and in Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. BA 1960, MA 1963.
In 1960s, prince Raad worked as academic researcher in Britain. After receiving his highest academic degree, he took the position of Chamberlain to the Royal Court of Jordan, in Amman, and afterwards has acted in civil administration and charitable organizations there.
Raad worked as an aide and a close confidant of kings Hussein
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...
and 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...
.
Marriage and children
Prince Raad married at SödertäljeSödertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, June 30, 1963 (civil), and at the Royal Palace, 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 August 5, 1963, Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Raad, President of Al-Hussein Society and Director of Bandak Fdn., born in Arboga
Arboga
Arboga is a locality and the seat of Arboga Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 10,369 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:The city of Arboga is known to have existed as a town since the 13th century but the area has been inhabited since around 900 AD...
on September 5, 1942, daughter of Sven Gustav Lind and wife Carin Inga Birgitta Gunlaug Grönwall, daughter of Assar Grönwall and wife, and an illegitimate descendant of the House of Vasa
House of Vasa
The House of Vasa was the Royal House of Sweden 1523-1654 and of Poland 1587-1668. It originated from a noble family in Uppland of which several members had high offices during the 15th century....
. They have five children:
- HRH Prince Zeid bin Ra'adPrince Zeid bin Ra'adPrince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein was born 26 January 1964 in Amman, Jordan to Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid head of the Royal Houses of Iraq and Syria and pretender to the Iraqi throne and his Swedish-born wife Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Raad...
- born January 26, 1964, married to Sarah Butler. (Now HRH Princess Sarah Zeid.) They have 2 children, HH Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid (Born: 17 May 2001.) and HH Princess Hala bint Zeid. (Born: 13 March 2003.) - HRH Prince Mired bin Ra'ad - born January 11, 1965, married to Dina Khalifeh. (Now HRH Princess Dina Mired.) They have 3 children, HH Princess Shirin bint Mir'ed. (Born: 19 May 1993) HH Prince Rakan bin Mir'ed (Born: 20 November 1995) and HH Prince Jafar bin Mir'ed. (Born: 4 September 2002.)
- HRH Prince Firas bin Ra'ad - born October 12, 1969, married to Dana ToukanTouqanTouqan is a prominent Palestinian & Jordanian family based in Nablus and Al-Salt. During Ottoman times they were the only household that ever came close to centralizing all of the District of Nablus under their rule, and their members held the post of district chief longer than did any other local...
. (Now HRH Princess Dana Firas.) They have 2 children, HH Princess Safa bint Firas (Born: 26 July 2001.) and HH Princess Haya bint Firas. (Born: 7 March 2003) - HRH Prince Faisal bin Ra'ad - born March 6, 1975, graduated from Brown University, and married to Lara Sukhtian. (Now HRH Princess Lara Faisal.) She worked with MSNBC news in Baghdad covering the Iraq war. She's the daughter of Munjid Sukhtian. They have 2 children, HH Princess Hanan bint Faisal (Born: 3 September 2006) and HH Princess Mariam bint Faisal. (Born: 25 July 2008)
- HRH Princess Fakhrelnissa bint Ra'ad - born January 11, 1981, married to Sharif Hajjar. They have 2 children, Radwan Hajjar (Born: 8 August 2006.) and Faisal Hajjar. (Born: 14 December 2007)
Royal House of Iraq
Prince Raad's position as the head of the Royal House of Iraq is in contention with Sharif Ali Bin al-HusseinSharif Ali bin al-Hussein
Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein was born in 1956, in Baghdad, Iraq. He is currently the leader of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy political party and claims to be the legitimate heir to the position of King of Iraq, based on his relationship to the last monarch, the late King Faisal II.-Early...
(a descendant of Hussein of Hejaz's granddaughter, sister and male cousin, but not in male line from king Hussein) who is another pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the Iraqi throne and the leader of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy
Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy
The Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy is a monarchist political party in Iraq led by Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein.Al-Hussein is related to the Hashemite royal family which ruled Iraq until 1958...
.
The Iraqi Constitution (as amended in November 1943) sets rules of succession that stipulate:
- succession to the Iraqi Throne is only for males of Iraqi nationality, and
- takes place according to primogeniturePrimogeniturePrimogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, male dynasts lawfully begotten, from the family of King Faisal I of IraqFaisal I of IraqFaisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
by his Queen. Failing male heirs of King Faisal (which occurred in 1958 when Faisal II died), succession is next to lawfully begotten descendants in male line of his brothers, the sons of King Hussein of Hejaz, according to primogeniture, provided they are also Iraqi nationals. That constitution provides no further: those who descend in male line from Hussein's ancestors, are not successors as to Iraq. Female descent is excluded from succession.
Raad was born in 1936 as a subject of Iraqi monarchy and is regarded to fulfill the nationality requirement. Moreover, his father was at that time recognized as a Prince of Iraq, and was appointed Deputy Regent of Iraq, as well as acted occasionally as full regent during Faisal II's minority. He is a male-line descendant of Hussein of Hejaz aforementioned. According to the provisions of cited constitution, Raad is eligible to succeed in Iraq. No other senior in primogeniture itself (meaning in practice the dynasts 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...
, as all other lines have gone extinct), is asserting any claim to Iraq as obviously none of such are Iraqi nationals.