Rania Al-Abdullah
Royalty
Name at birth: Rania Al Yassin
Rania Al-Abdullah is the wife of King Abdullah II and the queen of Jordan. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, she graduated from American University in Cairo in 1991 and went into banking and information technology. On 10 June 1993 she married Prince Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, the son of Jordan's King Hussein. While her husband moved up the ranks in the military, Rania began raising a family and working for humanitarian organizations focused on the rights of women and children. Since becoming queen (after Hussein's death on 7 February 1999), Rania's intelligence, poise and supermodel looks have made her a popular figure in Jordan and around the world.
Extra credit: The king and queen have four children, born between 1994 and 2005.
Four Good Links
Rania Al-Abdullah
Her official site has the latest press reports
Queen Rania of Jordan
2001 interview courtesy of Oprah
The Jordanian Royal Family Page
A fan presents background on the Hashemite family
Jordanian Resolve
She talks about the 2005 Amman bombings in this ABC News video interview
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
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Best Known As
Queen of Jordan since 1999
