Royal Wedding of the Year: Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan Wed Rajwa Al Saif

Wedding of crown prince Hussein of Jordan

It was a day of joyous celebration in Jordan as their Crown Prince and Captain of the Jordanian Armed Forces wed his Saudi Arabian Architect fiancee, Miss Rajwa Al Saif.

Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan held a memorable wedding extravaganza for their eldest son, Crown Prince Hussein on Thursday, June 1, 2023, and Miss Rajwa, a distant cousin of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, in Amman, Jordan.

Official wedding photos Crown Prince Hussein

Official wedding portrait ©Royal Hashemite Court

The glitzy affair was attended by more than 1,700 guests including foreign royals and dignitaries. Most of Europe's heir apparent attended the event, including the Prince of Wales. It was officially the first wedding of a foreign royal attended by William and Catherine.

During the wedding ceremony. Photo: Royal Hashemite Court

The Waleses' attendance at the wedding, which surprised royal watchers, was a testament to Prince William's closeness to Crown Prince Hussein, who had a high-profile public engagement in 2018 when Prince William made an official visit to Jordan. Both of them completed their military training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Photo: Royal Hashemite Court

In past royal weddings, the British royal family always sent the Earl and Countess of Wessex, now the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, to represent the British monarchy. It's only now that they made an exemption and sent the newly-minted Prince and Princess of Wales instead.

And the British royal family was represented by not just one family member, but four! Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi also attended the wedding in addition to the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi and Princess Beatrice

The Prince and Princess of Wales

Crown Prince Hussein, the eldest son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan, and Rajwa Al Saif tied the knot in an Islamic wedding ceremony at Zahran Palace in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

As it was customary in the royal family of Jordan to walk the bride by the brother of the groom, Rajwa Al Saif was escorted by Prince Hashem, the younger brother of Crown Prince Hussein, to the wedding ceremony venue.

The bridal walk with Prince Hashem

Rajwa Al Saif in the arm of Prince Hashem

The celebration began with the arrival of King Abdullah II and Queen, as the Jordanian Armed Forces Musical Band performed.

Crown Prince Hussein then entered, meeting his parents in the ceremony gazebo in the palace garden. Around the same time, Rajwa arrived at the palace with Hussein’s younger siblings Princess Iman, Princess Salma, and Prince Hashem in a custom 1968 Rolls-Royce Phantom.

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. Credit: Queen Rania IG

The bride in the arm of her brother-in-law, Prince Hashem

The princesses helped the bride with her train, and Prince Hashem, 18, accompanied the bride to the gazebo in the green garden, where the wedding ceremony, known as a “katb ktab,” commenced.

Princess Iman and Princess Salma arranged the train of the bride

The ceremony was presided by Dr. Ahmed Al Khalaileh, the imam of the Royal Hashemite Court, where Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa signed a marriage contract with two witnesses.

After the wedding service, selected women performed Zaghrata, a form of ululation (meaning a long, high-pitched sound resembling a howl as part of a musical performance), a joyous, thrilling sound commonly used to express joy amongst Egyptians Arab culture during happy celebrations.

Crown Prince Hussein and his father, King Abdullah II

The exquisite wedding gown of Princess Rajwa

The stunning bride wore a bespoke white wedding dress with an asymmetric neckline and draping bodice with the floral design created by Elie Saab, a Lebanese fashion designer. Her sweeping veil was held in place by a new diamond tiara especially made for her.

Princess Rajwa wears an Elie Saab wedding gown

Crown Prince Hussein wore a military uniform suit, which was inspired by the one his father wore on his own wedding day to then Miss Rania Al-Yassin. The sleeves paid tribute to the timeless style of King Abdullah II and King Abdullah I.

emotional moment between father and son

Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa then greeted guests after the wedding ceremony. They traveled in a red motorcade around Amman to their reception venue at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein

The newlyweds!

It was the most glittery royal wedding held in Asia since the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein's parents on June 10, 1993, almost 30 years ago.

Built-in 1957 in west Amman, Zahran Palace serves as a headquarters for the Hashemite Court and is where official functions, including royal weddings, are held.

While Al Husseiniya Palace was built in 2006 and houses the offices of the king and queen, and the crown prince. It is also a popular venue for royal occasions, including the henna party for Princess Iman, Crown Prince Hussein's sister, earlier this year.

Reception venue. Al Husseiniya Palace.

The newlyweds

Royal Guests:

Members of the Jordanian royal family were in complete attendance at Crown Prince Hussein's wedding. His paternal grandmother, Princess Muna (she was not declared Queen Consort by her husband, King Hussein of Jordan, thus styled only as a princess), who was born British, also attended.

Jordanian royal family and other guests

Members of the Jordanian royal family

Asian royals we spotted at the ceremony were Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan and her sister-in-law, Princess Euphelma Wangchuk, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei with his son, Prince Mateen, King di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and his wife, Queen Tungku Azizah. Hisako, Princess Takamado of Japan (widow of Norihito, Prince Takamado of Japan), and her daughter, Princess Tsuguko of Takamado.

Princess Euphelma and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan

Sultan Abdullah of Malaysia and Queen Azizah

Princess Tsuguko and her mother Princess Takamado of Japan

European royals who attended the wedding: King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima with their daughter, The Princess of Orange, King Philippe of Belgium was accompanied by his heir and eldest child, The Duchess of Brabant.

Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant, and her father, King Philippe of Belgium

Queen Sofia and King emeritus Juan Carlos I of Spain

King emeritus of Spain, Juan Carlos I, and his wife, Queen Sofia. Prince Alois and Princess Sophie, The Hereditary Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, The Prince and Princess of Wales, Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Prince Sebastien of Luxembourg who represented his father, Grand Duke Henri, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi.

Hereditary Alois and Hereditary Sophie of Liechtenstein

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel

King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

The Prince and Princess of Wales

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

New style for the bride

Following the wedding ceremony, the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan officially announced the new title of the Crown Prince's wife.

“A Royal Decree was issued to bestow the title of Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein on Miss Rajwa Khalid Alseif, on the occasion of her marriage to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein".

This further means that their future children will carry the surname of Al Hussein. It is customary for the Jordanian royals to carry the name of their father as their surname in contrast to the custom of the West where children carry the patrilineal surname down to many generations.