King Of Jordan Abdullah Ii

Jordanian royal family, the Prince of Jordan and the eldest son of King Hussein and his second wife, Princess Muna, to whom he was married from 1961-72. His mother was the daughter of a British army officer. The powers of the monarchy passed from his dying father on 2/06/1999 after nearly a half century rule by Hussein; he took the oath of office the next day. He was crowned king on 2/06/1999, 4:09 EET. The government made every attempt to insure a smooth transition to the 37-year-old Abdullah, bestowing all royal authority, including the ability to mobilize the military, dismiss parliament and name Cabinet members. His first move as king was the designation of his 18-year-old half brother Hamzeh as crown prince. As a gentleman soldier, Abdullah was an accomplished marksman, a helicopter and jet-fighter pilot, a deep-sea scuba diver and an avid collector of antique weaponry. Since his marriage to Princess Rania, he has been a contented and private family man, the father of four-year-old Hussein and two-year-old Iman. A product of elite British and American schools, he took a yearlong course in international studies at Oxford and Georgetown before taking his role as Jordan's top counter terrorism specialist and troop leader. He build a reputation as the family peacemaker and a fierce protector of his father's interests. As a career military officer for 18 years, Abdullah has the army's allegiance as one of their own. In January 1999, Hussein named Abdullah as his successor, bypassing his brother Hassan, who had been groomed for the throne for 34 years. Hussein reportedly accused Hassan of overstepping his authority by trying to purge military officers and ambassadors. Abdullah lacks his dad's deep political and diplomatic experience, leaving some experts wondering if he will be able to negotiate the complex web of the Middle East. Link to Wikipedia biography