On 1st June heir apparent to the Jordanian throne, Crown Prince Hussein is set to wed Saudi Arabian-born architect Rajwa Al-Saif. The wedding will be one of the biggest royal celebrations in recent years, with the date also being declared a national holiday.
In the lead up to the big day, Queen Rania said in a speech to the Jordanian people “Like any mother, I have long dreamed of his wedding day. Hussein is your son, and you are his family, and this is your wedding”.
A feast for 4,000 Jordanians
The ceremony for the couple – who are both 28 years old – will start tonight in Amman, Jordan, with a dinner held for the 4,000 Jordanians to celebrate the diverse social fabric in the country. The dinner will take place in the Royal Hashemite Court’s ‘Madareb Bani Hashem’ palace, and there will be representatives from all of the country’s diverse communities.
King Abdullah will host the dinner where Jordan’s festive national dish Mansaf (lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yoghurt) will be served.
A wedding at the palace
On the actual wedding day, celebrations will start at the Zahran Palace in Amman, where 140 guests including the royals and heads of state will witness the couple wed in the grounds of the famous palace.
Following the modest religious ceremony, there will be a royal procession to Al Husseiniya Palace where King Abdullah II and Queen Rania along with the bride’s parents will host 1,700 guests for the wedding reception.
There will be performances celebrating both Jordanian and Saudi Arabian culture, live music and feast provided for all guests.
