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Showing posts with the label World

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...

Princess Märtha of Sweden and WWII

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This time the Allaboutroyalfamilies series of royals and World War II, stays in Scandinavia. The new post will talk about Princess Märtha of Sweden. Her family Märtha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra of Sweden was born on 28 March 1901 as the second child of Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark. Her father was the younger brother of King Gustaf V of Sweden. Her mother was the younger sister of King Christian X of Denmark and of King Haakon VII of Norway. What's all in the family? There were even more family ties! Märtha had an elder sister who became Princess Margaretha of Denmark and a younger sister who became Queen Astrid of Belgium. Love and Marriage? Princess Märtha of Sweden became engaged to Olav of Norway, who was her first cousin. The engagement took place during the Olympic Summer Games of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) in 1928. This news was well received in both the countries. It was an excellent match in te...