WITH LITTLE FANFARE, CROWN PRINCE HAMZAH GETS

UNCLAS AMMAN 005602 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR OVIP JO SUBJECT: WITH LITTLE FANFARE, CROWN PRINCE HAMZAH GETS MARRIED -- FORMAL CEREMONY TO FOLLOW NEXT SPRING SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) Jordanians were surprised -- but nonetheless delighted -- at the announcement of the marriage of Crown Prince Hamzah on August 29, 2003. The CP signed a traditional marriage contract with his second cousin, Princess Noor Bint Asem Ben Nayef, in a private family affair held at King Abdullah's residence. After the private signing, the royal family held a somewhat larger (but still small) celebration for friends and family. ¶2. (U) Under Jordanian law and tradition, following the signing of the wedding contract, the couple is legally married. However, tradition also holds that the couple not reside together until after the official wedding celebration, which the CP's office tells us is planned for the Spring of 2004. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: While there were rumors of the Crown Prince's impending "engagement" floating around town, the Palace has not played up the CP's marriage (reportedly at the request of the CP himself). A media source tells us that they were instructed not to "overemphasize" the importance of the event. We suspect that the usual fanfare associated with a royal marriage will emerge in conjunction with the "wedding" -- the formal celebration of the contract that marks the beginning of a couple's life together -- that will be held in the Spring. In the meantime, both the CP and Princess Noor plan to return to Boston to resume their studies. ¶4. (SBU) BIO INFORMATION: Princess Noor Bint Asem Ben Nayef was born on October 6, 1982 in Amman, Jordan. She is the third daughter of Prince Asem Ben Nayef and Princess Fairouza. Princess Noor's grandfather, Prince Nayef Bin Abdullah, was a half brother of King Talal, the only son of King Abdullah I by his second wife, Suzdil, and the half uncle of King Hussein. (Abdullah I had two wives simultaneously, a fact which explains the rigid symmetry of Raghadan Palace, with two equal sets of family quarters.) After King Talal was deposed and King Hussein took the throne, Prince Nayef had a falling out with the family and went into exile in Spain. Princess Noor's father, Prince Asem Ben Nayef, is Prince Nayef's second son. ¶5. (SBU) Princess Noor's mother, Princess Fairouza, was originally Iranian, and has divorced Prince Asem. (Prince Asem re-married and pursues business interests in Jordan.) Princess Fairouza and her daughters have lived most recently in Madrid, Spain, where Princess Noor graduated from King's Academy, the British School in Madrid. Princess Noor's J-1 student visas for the 2000-01, 2001-02, and 2002-03 academic years were issued in Madrid. She is currently in her final year at Emerson College, Boston, and Embassy Amman just issued her student visa to return to Emerson this fall. Princess Noor is the youngest of three daughters. Her older sisters are Princess Sarah (DPOB August 12, 1978, Amman) and Princess Yasmin (DPOB unknown). ¶6. (SBU) The Crown Prince, is two years older than Princess Noor (born on March 19, 1980),and is also planning to return to his studies this fall at Harvard. He is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and is a Captain in the Jordan Armed Forces. ¶7. (SBU) A photo of the couple appears on Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/. You can also access the site through the CAP Website of the Training and Connectivity portal of the State Department's classified SIPRNET site.