Facts about King Abdullah
King Abdullah II Biography
King Abdullah II has ruled Jordan since the 1999 death of his father, King Hussein I. As king, Abdullah has continued his father’s policy of making Jordan a moderate voice in the Middle East, with ties to Arabs, Palestinians, and the West.
The future King Abdullah went to prep schools in England and America, then attended the Sandhurst Military Academy in England and began a career in the Jordanian army. He had become commander of all Jordanian special forces when his father, shortly before his death, named Abdullah to replace the presumptive heir, Hussein’s brother Prince Hassan.
Abdullah became king on February 7, 1999. He married Rania Al Yassin, now Queen Rania, in 1993. They have four children: Hussein (b. 1994), Iman (b. 1996), Salma (b. 2000), and Hashem (b. 2005).
Extra credit
King Abdullah II is the oldest son of King Hussein and his wife, Princess Muna Al Hussein… King Abdullah’s clan, the Hashemites, traces its family tree back to the prophet Muhammad. According to his official site, Abdullah’s generation is the 43rd since Muhammad… Also according to the king’s official site, “He is a qualified frogman, pilot and a free-fall parachutist”… Odd but true: King Abdullah is a fan of Star Trek and had a small non-speaking role on “Investigations,” a 1995 episode of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager.
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