Princess Muna al-Hussein

Princess Muna al-Hussein (born Antoinette Avril Gardiner; 25 April 1941) is the mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Until their divorce on 21 December 1972, she was the second wife of Hussein, the late king of Jordan. She was born in the United Kingdom, is ethnically English and British by citizenship but in keeping with Islamic culture, she changed her name to Muna al-Hussein upon marriage.

Early life

Toni Gardiner was born in Chelmondiston, the daughter of Doris Elizabeth (neé Sutton) and Walter Percy Gardiner. She attended Bourne School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was administered by the British Families Education Service for the children of British Service personnel stationed overseas, where she was an A-grade field hockey player. The school closed when British Forces withdrew from Malaya.

Gardiner's father was a high-ranking British Army Officer stationed at Long Marston in Warwickshire in the 1960s.

Marriage and children

Gardiner met the King of Jordan, Hussein, while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed his troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to monitor the production's progress. However, there is another report, stating that Gardiner and the King met when her father began to work as a Military Adviser in Jordan.

Gardiner married King Hussein in Amman, Jordan, on 25 May 1961. She converted to Islam and was renamed Muna al-Hussein upon marriage; she kept the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein after the divorce. Together they had four children:

• Abdullah (born 1962; now King Abdullah II of Jordan).
• Faisal (born 1963).
• Aisha (born 1968, twin of Princess Zein).
• Zein (born 1968, twin of Princess Aisha).

They were divorced on 21 December 1972. After her divorce, she was allowed to keep the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Jordan. She continues to work and live in Jordan.

Causes and activities

She is involved in the development of nursing in Jordan, founding the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing. In 1962, Princess Muna founded the Princess Muna College of Nursing, now the Princess Muna College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.

Titles, styles, honours, positions and awards

• 25 April 1941 – 25 May 1961: Miss Antoinette Avril Gardiner
• 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1972: Her Royal Highness The Princess Consort of Jordan
• 21 December 1972 – 7 February 1999: Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan
• Unofficial: 7 February 1999 - present: Her Royal Highness The Princess Mother of Jordan

Honours

National honours

•  Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali
•  Jordan: Knight Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance, Special Class

Foreign honours

• Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Beneficence
• Iranian Imperial Family: Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 2,500 year Celebration of the Persian Empire
•  Malaysia: Honorary Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
• Romanian Royal Family: Extra Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Crown
•  Tunisia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Republic

• ^ Al-Hashimi Dynasty. Royal Ark. Retrieved on 28 July 2015.
• ^ Princess Muna wearing the Orders of the Supreme Renaissance and of the Republic
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• Iran Politics Club
• "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965." (PDF). 
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