Jordan royal family pictured together following royal rift 3543

Author : angela344

Publish Date : 2021-04-11 18:03:20

Jordan's King Abdullah and his half-brother Prince Hamzah have appeared in public for the first time since claims of a royal rift.

Prince Hamzah last week said he had been put under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics. He was accused of plotting to destabilise the kingdom, which he has denied.

King Abdullah expressed his "shock" at the alleged plot in a statement.

The pair were seen attending a ceremony together on Sunday.

They joined other members of the royal family commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jordan's independence. Images posted to social media show members of the royal family laying wreaths at the memorial to the unknown soldier.

It is the first time Prince Hamzah has been since the rift erupted a week ago.

How did the drama unfold?
On 3 April Prince Hamzah, 41, released two videos to the BBC in which he said he had been placed under house arrest.

He said a senior official had told him he was not allowed to go out or communicate with people because of criticisms of the government or king voiced at meetings where he had been present.

The apparent house arrest is thought to have followed a visit by the prince to tribal leaders, where he is said to have garnered some support to destabilise the kingdom.

media captionJordan's former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein says his internet and phone lines have been cut
Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said the prince had been liaising with "some foreign entities" and had been monitored for some time.

He accused the prince of seeking to mobilise "clan leaders against the government". Mr Safadi said officials had tried to discourage the prince rather than take legal action, but Prince Hamzah had "dealt with this request negatively".

He added that at least 16 people, including a former adviser to King Abdullah and another member of the royal family, had been arrested over the plot. But no members of the armed forces were said to be among those detained.

Jordan's king describes 'most painful' royal rift
Prince Hamzah of Jordan's message in full
On Monday, Prince Hamzah signed a letter confirming his loyalty to King Abdullah. In the letter, released by the palace, Prince Hamza is quoted as saying: "I place myself in the hands of his majesty the king... I will remain committed to the constitution of the dear Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."

On Wednesday, King Abdullah released a statement which was read out on state television, describing news of the alleged plot as "painful".

He reassured Jordanians that the crisis was now over.

"Parties behind the sedition came from within our house and outside it," his address said, adding: "The sedition has been nipped in the bud."

Who is Prince Hamzah?
The eldest son of the late King Hussein and his favourite wife Queen Noor, Prince Hamzah is a graduate of the UK's Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He also attended Harvard University in the US and has served in the Jordanian armed forces.

He was named crown prince of Jordan in 1999 and was a favourite of King Hussein, who often described him in public as the "delight of my eye". However, he was seen as too young and inexperienced to be named successor at the time of King Hussein's death in 1999.

Instead his elder half-brother, Abdullah, ascended the throne and stripped Hamzah of the title of crown prince in 2004, giving it to his own son. The move was seen as a blow to Queen Noor, who had hoped to see her eldest son become king.