AMMAN — Jordan's King Abdullah's sacking of his half-brother Prince Hamza as heir to the throne consolidates his power and paves the way for his 10-year-old son to succeed, analysts and palace insiders said on Monday.
"Happy birthday, son."
"Gee, t'anks Dad! A Kingdom! And all I was hoping for was a concubine!" |
Prince Hamza bin Hussein, 24, the eldest son of the late King Hussein's fourth wife Queen Noor, was told of his removal in a meeting on Sunday at the royal palace attended by the family and chaired by King Abdullah, officials said. King Abdullah justified his surprise move as the restoration of a Hashemite tradition under the 1952 constitution that gives the succession to the eldest son. | He's lucky the King didn't decide to revive the older Hashemite tradition of lopping off the heads of any contender to the throne. I'd avoid any sudden helicopter rides if I was him. |
In 1965, when the constitution was changed to overturn the principle of primogeniture, the Middle East was in turmoil, King Abdullah was an infant and Hussein had escaped several attempts on his life. The change formally seals the rift with his stepmother, US-born Queen Noor, palace aides said. The premature death of King Hussein, before Hamza — already groomed to take over as king by his mother — was old enough thwarted her plans by forcing Abdullah, then 36, into the spotlight, palace insiders say.
| Noor might have to become an American again. |
While palace insiders expected King Abdullah to redress what many aides saw as an imposed succession at some stage, the speed with which the monarch moved, just five years after coming to the throne, reflected his strengthened position. Political observers said it was almost certain that Prince Hussein, 10, the eldest son of Abdullah and Queen Rania, would be named heir to the throne soon. 
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