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Who was Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan?

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On 14 May 2022 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan passed away at the age of 73. Family Khalifa was born on 7 September 1948 at Qasr Al-Muwaiji, Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi (then part of the Trucial States), the eldest son of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Hassa bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Education   He was a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Crown Prince When his father, Zayed, became Emir of Abu Dhabi in 1966, Khalifa was appointed the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi and Head of the Courts Department in Al Ain. Zayed was the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region before he became the Emir of Abu Dhabi. A few months later the position was handed to Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan. On 1 February 1969, Khalifa was nominated the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and on the next day he was appointed Head of the Abu Dhabi Department of Defense. In that post, he oversaw the build up of the Abu Dhabi Defense Force, which after 1971

Fashion and the royals: Valentino

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On 2 February 2002, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands married Máxima.  The bride wore a beautiful wedding dress made by Valentino. Who is this wonderful fashion designer, which is the history of this house and which are/were the royal clients? Check it in this fashion blog post. Who is Valentino? Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (born 11 May 1932), known  as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer and the founder of the Valentino brand and company.  Valentino was born in Voghera, in the province of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. His mother named him after screen idol Rudolph Valentino. He became interested in fashion while in primary school in his native Voghera, Lombardy, northern Italy, when he apprenticed under his aunt Rosa and local designer Ernestina Salvadeo, an aunt of noted artist Aldo Giorgini. Valentino then moved to Paris to pursue this interest with the help of his mother Teresa de Biaggi and his father Mauro Garavani. There he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and at t

30 January 1962: King Abdullah II of Jordan was born

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Abdullah was born on 30 January 1962 at Palestine Hospital in Amman, to King Hussein and Hussein's British-born second wife, Princess Muna Al-Hussein (born Antoinette Avril Gardiner). He is the namesake of his paternal great-grandfather, Abdullah I, who founded modern Jordan. King Hussein and his wife Queen Muna Family Abdullah's dynasty, the Hashemites, ruled Mecca for over 700 years—from the 10th century until the House of Saud conquered Mecca in 1925—and have ruled Jordan since 1921. The Hashemites are the oldest ruling dynasty in the Muslim world.  According to family tradition, Abdullah is the 41st-generation agnatic descendant of Muhammad's daughter Fatimah and her husband, Ali, the fourth Rashidun caliph. As Hussein's eldest son, Abdullah became heir apparent to the Jordanian throne under the 1952 constitution.Political instability caused King Hussein to appoint an adult heir in his place, choosing Abdullah's uncle Prince Hassan in 1965. Abdullah has four bro

Is motorcycling a royal hobby?

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Motorcycling certainly is a royal hobby because many kings and princes like(d) to drive incognito around.  Motorcycling is the act of riding on a motorcycle. Motorcycles are mainly a luxury good in developed nations. There they are mostly for recreation or as a symbol of identity.  Belgium King Albert II of Belgium was known as a keen motor cyclist. However he stopped  after a few accidents. His most famous accident was around the time of the wedding of his daughter Princess Astrid.  King Albert I,   the grandfather of King Albert II, had a passion for mechanics and especially for motors too. Denmark Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her husband Crown Prince Frederik were seen on a scooter ride in 2006. Prince Hendrik of Denmark , the husband of Queen Margrethe of Denmark also liked to ride on a motor bike.  Germany Otto von Hessen died in an accident with his motor bike on 17 May 2020.  Italy Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice, the grandson of Princess Marie-José of Belgi

26 May 1946: Independence of Jordan

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On 26 May 1946, Jordan - the official name is: the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - became independent.  Jordan is located in Western Asia and it is bordered by inter alia Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and the Dead Sea. The capital is Aman.  Jordan has a long history and it was a part from inter alia the Persian Empire,  the Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire.  The current ruler of Jordan is a constitutional monarch: King Abdullah II.  The famous places in Jordan are: Wadi Rum, Petra and the Dead Sea.  The movie Lawrence of Arabia was recorded at Wadi Rum.  Source pictures: Wikipedia + book cover 

OTD 11 August 1952 Crown Prince Hussein became King of Jordan

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After the abdication of his father King Talal of Jordan, Crown Prince Hussein became King of Jordan on 11 August 1952. Early life Hussein bin Talal bin Abdullah bin Hussein bin Ali was born on 14 November 1935 in Amman, then a part of Transjordan. He was a son of then Crown Prince Talal of Jordan and Princess Zein Al-Sharaf. At that time, the royal family was poor, they could not afford heating in their house. Hussein got his name from his great-grandfather, Hussein bin Ali (Sharif of Mecca), who was the leader of the 1916 Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.It was said that Hussein was the 40th. direct descendant of Muhammad through the Hashemite dynasty. The young Prince Hussein started his education at the Victoria College in Alexandria, Egypt. Then he went to Harrow School in England, where he became a close  friend with King Faisal II of Iraq. On 20 July 1951, Prince Hussein traveled to Jerusalem to perform Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque with h