Alia Toukan

Alia Toukan
Queen Alia in 1976
Queen consort of Jordan
Tenure	24 December 1972 – 9 February 1977
Born	Alia Bahauddin Toukan (1948-12-25)25 December 1948 Cairo,Kingdom of Egypt
Died	9 February 1977(1977-02-09)(aged 28) Amman,Jordan
Burial	Raghadan Palace
Spouse	Hussein of Jordan ​ (m.1972)​
Issue	Princess Haya Prince Ali Abir Muhaisen(adopted)
Regnal name Alia Al Hussein
Father	Bahauddin Toukan
Mother	Hanan Hashim

Alia Bahauddin Toukan(علياء بهاء الدين طوقان;25 December 1948 – 9 February 1977), also known asAlia Al Hussein(Arabic:علياء الحسين),wasQueen of Jordanas the third wife ofKing Husseinfrom their marriage on 24 December 1972 until her death in a helicopter crash in 1977.

Background

Queen Alia walking alongside Jordanian Army Chief of StaffHabis Majali.

Alia Toukan was born on 25 December 1948 inCairo,Egypt,the daughter ofBaha Toukanand his wife Hanan Hashim. Her mother, a home-maker, was a grandniece ofIbrahim HashimPasha,and her father was a diplomat.At the time of Alia's birth, he was the ambassador of Jordan to theCourt of St James's(United Kingdom), Italy, Turkey and Egypt all at once.Toukan, a close confidant of KingAbdullah I of Jordan,had previously helped write theJordanian Constitutionin 1952, and had served as Jordan's first Ambassador to the United Nations.

Alia spent most of her childhood years traveling with her parents during her father's career in Jordan's diplomatic corps: she lived in Egypt, Turkey, London, the United States, andRome.She attended Church School in London with her younger brothers, Alaa and Abdullah. She was educated at theRome Center of Liberal ArtsofLoyola University Chicago.She studied political science with a minor in social psychology, and public relations atHunter Collegein New York City.She was interested in sports and writing, and she wished to be a diplomat.In 1971, she moved to Jordan, where she worked forRoyal JordanianAirlines.She was asked byKing Hussein,grandson of Abdullah I, to oversee the preparations for the first International Water Skiing Festival held in the coastal city ofAqabain September 1972.

Family

Alia married the King in a private ceremony at her father's house, with no attendance of any other royal family members, on 24 December 1972, 3 days after the king divorced his second wifePrincess Muna Al-Hussein,and was titled Queen Alia Al Hussein (Arabic:الملكة علياء الحسين).

They had two children:

• Princess Haya(born 3 May 1974)
• Prince Ali(born 23 December 1975)

They also adoptedAbir,a young Palestinian girl whose mother had been killed by a plane crash at a refugee camp near the Amman airport.

Queen

Queen Alia (left) with her husband following state dinner withBettyandGerald Fordon 30 March 1976.

Queen Alia founded the Office of the Queen of Jordan and gave it an active and public role. The active role she took in Jordan has been emulated by her successors. She financed social development projects, placing particular emphasis on women and children.She often made surprise visits to hospitals and national institutions, aiming to raise service standards and help people to help themselves. In her drive to ensure that children from impoverished backgrounds received their right to education, she fostered close ties with schools such as the Schneller School for Orphans, which took many of the street children that Queen Alia sent there.

Her commitment to improving social services continued throughout her lifetime and was still pursued in her name after her death, when King Hussein ensured the continuation of the many educational scholarships given in her honour.

Alia's love of the arts and literature inspired the establishment of libraries throughout the country, including one at the Central Bank of Jordan and another in the King Hussein Medical City. Her interest in the arts led to the founding of the Haya Cultural Centre for Children, the National Folklore Troupe and the Alia Art Gallery. It was also instrumental in conceiving the Jerash Festival for the Arts.

In 1974, Alia called for women to be granted the right to vote and be elected for parliament. On 4 April 1974, a law was promulgated granting women this right; however, the suspension of parliamentary life in Jordan between 1974 and 1989 prevented its implementation.

Death and legacy

Wives of King Hussein of Jordan
and years of marriage

Dina bint Abdul-Hamid(Queen Dina)
m. 1955–1957

Toni Gardiner(Princess Muna)
m. 1961–1972

Alia Toukan(Queen Alia)
m. 1972–1977

Lisa Halaby(Queen Noor)
m. 1978–1999

Alia died in a military helicopter crash inAmman,Jordan, on 9 February 1977.She was on her way back from an inspection trip to Tafileh Hospital in southern Jordan.King Hussein announced her death on radio, stating that the crash had happened in a violent rainstorm.The Minister of Health Mohammed al‐Beshir and Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Mohannad Alkhas Hatough were also killed in the crash.Her funeral ceremony took place on the following day, in which members of theJordanian Armed Forcestook part.Among the foreign dignitaries at the funeral was the Syrian presidentHafez al-Assad.

Amman's principal airport,Queen Alia International Airport(AMM), was built in 1983 and named in her honour. It is located 32 km (20 miles) south of the city and replaced Amman Marka International Airport (nowAmman Civil Airport) as the city's main gateway.

Honours and decorations

National

• Dame Grand Cordon with Collar of theOrder of al-Hussein bin Ali.
• Dame Grand Cordon of theSupreme Order of the Renaissance[special class] (24 December 1972).

Foreign

• Member of theOrder of Gabriela Silang(Republic of the Philippines, 1 March 1976).
• Dame Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Precious Crown(Empire of Japan, 3 March 1976).
• Great Star of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria(Republic of Austria, 15 June 1976).

Institutions named after or associated with Queen Alia

• Queen Alia International Airport
• Queen Alia Military Hospital
• Securing Political Constitutional Rights for Women
• TheSOS Children's Village
• The Queen Alia Foundation for Hearing and Speech
• The Farah Rehabilitation Unit at theKing Hussein Medical Center
• The Queen Alia Heart Institute, also at the King Hussein Medical Center
• Tkiyet Um AliQueen Alia (Um Ali – The Mother of Ali)