Royal Profile: Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan
Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Jordan was born on 15 December 1929 as Dina Sharrif Abdul-Hamid bin Muhammad Abdul-Aziz Al-Aun, the daughter of Sharif Abdul-Hamid bin Muhammad Abdul-Aziz Al-Aun and Fahria Brav {Source}.
As a member of the House of Hashim, she was entitled to use the honorific title sharifa of Mecca as an agnatic descendant of Hasan ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Her former father-in-law, the father of King Hussein, was her maternal third cousin.
Like most children of that time and status, she was sent to boarding school in England. She continued her education in England, earning a degree in English Literature from Girton College of Cambridge University, as well as a post-grad diploma in social science from Bedford College in London {Source}.
Upon obtaining her degrees, she began to teach English literature and philosophy at the University of Cairo {Source}.
She first met King Hussein in 1952 in London, at a home of a relative from Iraq. During that time, he was a student at Harrow School, while she was studying at Girton College of Cambridge University {Source}, Upon her graduation, she returned to Egypt, where the two visited thereafter. After two years of dating and his accession to the throne of Jordan, his mother, Queen Zein announced her son, King Hussein was engaged to Eqyptian born Dina Abdul-Hamid in 1954{Source}. The royal pair were married on 19 April 1955 {Source}.
Upon their marriage, she became Queen of Jordan. It was quickly noted by those around them after their union that they had little to nothing in common. He wanted her to be seen and not heard, have no political role, and his mother viewed her as a threat to her own status, while Dina was outspoken and wanted a political role{Source}. Together, they have one daughter, a former son-in-law, a current son-in-law, and three grandchildren {Source}:
- Princess Alia bint Al Hussein (1956)
- Nasser Wasfi Mirza (m. 1977, div)
- Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh (M. 1998)
- Talal Al-Saleh (1989)
- Abdul Hamid Al-Saleh (1992)
During a holiday in Egypt, her soon-to-be former husband informed her of his intentions to separate from her. Their divorce was finalized in June 1957 {Source}. Upon their divorce, she was not permitted to see her daughter for a period of time. Eventually, mother and daughter were reunited.
On 7 October 1970, she married a second time to Lieut-Colonel Asad Sulayman Abd al-Qadir {Source}. Twelve years after their marriage, her husband was imprisoned by Israelis in 1982{Source}. In 1983, the former Queen of Jordan negotiated one of the largest prisoner exchanges to ever take place between Israel and Palestine, which freed her husband and 8,000 other prisoners {Source}.
Princess Dina died on 21 August 2019 at the age of 89 {Source}
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