Princess Muna Al Hussein
| Muna Al Hussein | |
|---|---|
 Princess Muna in 1964 | |
| Princess consort of Jordan | |
| Tenure | 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1972 |
| Born | Toni Avril Gardiner[1] 25 April 1941 Chelmondiston,Suffolk, England |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| Father | Walter Percy Gardiner |
| Mother | Doris Elizabeth Sutton |
| Jordanian royal family |
|---|
| Extended royal family |
m. 1955–1957
m. 1961–1972
m. 1972–1977
m. 1978–1999
Princess Muna Al Hussein[2](Arabic:منى الحسين,bornToni Avril Gardiner;25 April 1941) is the mother ofAbdullah II of Jordan.She was the second wife ofKing Hussein;the couple divorced on 21 December 1972. She isBritishby birth, and changed her name to Muna Al Hussein upon marriage.
Early life[edit]
Muna Al Hussein was born inChelmondiston,Suffolk,England, the daughter of Doris Elizabeth (née Sutton) andLieutenant ColonelWalter Percy "Tony" Gardiner. She attendedBourne SchoolinKuala Lumpur,Malaya,which was administered by theBritish Families Education Servicefor the children of British service personnel stationed overseas, where she was an A-gradefield hockeyplayer.
Gardiner's father was aBritish Armyofficer who finished his career with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was the son of Arthur Gardiner, agamekeeper.He joined theRoyal Engineersat the age of 17, and was stationed inMandatory Palestinefor 18 months in the 1930s. He later served in France, North Africa, and Italy during World War II.[3][4]
Marriage and children[edit]
Gardiner met the King of Jordan,Hussein,while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set ofLawrence of Arabia.The King had allowed his troops to work asextrason 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.[4]
Gardiner married King Hussein inAmman,Jordan,on 25 May 1961. It is believed she was not proclaimed queen because the government disapproved of the marriage because of her foreign origin.[5][6]Together they had four children:
- Abdullah (born 1962; nowKing Abdullah II of Jordan)
- Faisal(born 1963)
- AishaandZein(twins, born 1968)
They were divorced on 21 December 1972.[7]She continues to work and live in Jordan.[citation needed]
Causes and activities[edit]
She is involved in the development of nursing in Jordan, founding the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing.[8]In 1962, she founded the Princess Muna College of Nursing, now the Princess Muna College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.[9]
Honours[edit]
National[edit]
Jordan:
Grand Cordon with Collar of theOrder of al-Hussein bin Ali[citation needed]
Grand Cordon with Brilliants of theSupreme Order of the Renaissance
Foreign[edit]
Greek Royal Family:Dame Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Beneficence
Iranian Imperial Family:Recipient of theCommemorative Medal of the 2,500 year Celebration of the Persian Empire
Malaysia:Honorary Grand Commander of theOrder of the Defender of the Realm[10]
Romanian Royal Family:Extra Dame Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of the Crown[11][12][13]
Sweden:Member Grand Cross of theOrder of the Polar Star[14]
Tunisia:Grand Cross of theOrder of the Republic[15]
References[edit]
- ^"The Hashemite Royal Family".The Office of King Hussein.Retrieved24 May2021.
- ^"Statement from the Royal Hashemite Court".The Royal Hashemite Court.1 June 2023.Retrieved1 June2023.
- ^"Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Gardiner".The Telegraph.4 January 2011.Retrieved13 July2018.
- ^abEwing, Richard (5 February 1999)."Prince's secretary mum who married a king".Coventy Evening Telegraph.Retrieved29 June2013.
- ^"Jordan: King Takes a Wife".Time.2 June 1961.ISSN0040-781X.Retrieved10 May2024.
- ^"Hussein Divorced and Remarried".The New York Times.25 December 1972.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved10 May2024.
- ^"Hussein's Ex-Wife Is Given Her 4 Children and Palace".The New York Times.26 December 1972.Retrieved23 February2021.
- ^Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for NursingArchived22 January 2009 at theWayback Machine.Kafd.jo. Retrieved on 28 July 2015.
- ^"Princess Muna College".jrms.gov.jo.Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2014.
- ^"Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965"(PDF).
- ^Romania Regala
- ^Romania Regala
- ^Romania Regala
- ^"State visit to Jordan".
- ^Order of the Republic
External links[edit]
- Ancestry of Antoinette Avril Gardiner (b. 1941)[self-published source]
- King Hussein – His Early Life
 |  | ||
1the only royal consort who was not given the rank of queen | |||
Generations are numbered by descent fromAbdullah I. | ||
| 1st generation | | |
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation |
| |
| 4th generation | ||
1Princess of Jordan by marriage 2Former queen consort given the title of princess upon divorce 3Princess of Jordan by birth and marriage | ||
- 1941 births
- Living people
- Hussein of Jordan
- Jordanian people of English descent
- Jordanian royal consorts
- People from Babergh District
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Beneficence (Greece)
- Converts to Islam
- Jordanian princesses by marriage
- British emigrants
- Mothers of Jordanian monarchs