US embassy cable - 04AMMAN4581

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 004581 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, JO 
SUBJECT: ROYAL WEDDING ROCKS AMMAN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (U)   Jordan -- or at least part of it -- was swept up in 
elaborate festivities May 26-28 marking the wedding of Crown 
Prince Hamza to his 22-year old distant cousin, Princess Noor 
Bint Assem, despite the prince's reported desire for a 
low-key event.  The widely-publicized celebration makes 
official the private wedding ceremony held in August 2003 
uniting the pair, who apparently courted while studying at 
separate universities in Boston.  Most Jordanian appeared 
pleased with the union, but the event brought to the fore 
long-standing family rivalries, providing fodder for gossip 
about the royal family.  It also was another opportunity for 
the world's diminishing breed of royalty to gather and 
celebrate their collective persistence.  The presence of 
Farah Diba, widow of the Shah of Iran, was notable, and 
prompted a protest from Tehran.  Meanwhile, Amman once again 
took on the outward appearance of a police state as heavily 
armed elite forces lined the streets and snipers adorned 
rooftops.  The massive security presence snarled traffic, but 
did not deter some locals from cheering the couple as they 
cruised the streets of Amman in the same well-worn Lincoln 
convertible used by King Hussein on each of his nuptials 
since the 1960s.  Most, however, preferred to critique the 
affair (carried live on state-run TV) in the privacy of their 
own homes.  End Summary. 
 
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ROYAL WEDDING MADE IN HARVARD YARD? 
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2.  (U)  Although 24-year-old Jordanian Crown Prince Hamza, 
eldest son of King Hussein and Queen Noor, reportedly 
preferred a low-key wedding celebration due to regional 
tensions, Jordan witnessed lavish events steeped in tradition 
marking Crown Prince's marriage to his 22-year old distant 
cousin Princess Noor Bint Assem.  A traditional Jordanian 
meal of mansef for 4,000 men (although some women were 
reportedly invited) in Bedouin tents on May 26 kicked off the 
festivities.  King Abdullah hosted a garden reception on May 
27 for more than 2,000 in Amman honoring his half-brother and 
new bride.  Another lavish dinner party was held in Aqaba on 
May 28 for mostly foreign dignitaries.  The celebration 
followed a private ceremony to sign the wedding contract in 
August 2003 before the couple returned to U.S. universities 
in the fall. 
 
3.  (C)  The CP's office director assures us that this 
marriage was not arranged, claiming that the two met and 
courted while studying in the United States.  Noor is the 
youngest daughter of Prince Assem Bin Nayef, a cousin of the 
late King Hussein, and Princess Fairouza.  Assem's father, 
Prince Nayef, was exiled to Spain for trying to depose his 
half-brother, Talal, King Hussein's father, who ruled Jordan 
from 1951-52.  Although born in Amman, Princess Noor 
apparently spent a good deal of her time growing up in Spain. 
 According to our contacts, she is pious. 
 
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BOUNTIFUL REMINDERS OF ROYAL WEDDINGS PAST 
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4.  (U)  The wedding celebration conjured up images 
reminiscent of royal weddings past.  On the evening of May 
27, hundreds of Jordanians lined the streets to cheer the 
royal couple as their motorcade rolled from the Royal Court 
to Zahran Palace -- home to King Hussein's late mother Zein 
and the site of King Hussein's 1978 marriage to Hamza's 
mother, Queen Noor.  They rode in a cream-colored 1961 
Lincoln Continental convertible that had been used for both 
King Hussein and King Abdullah's wedding cruises through 
town.  The car was brought from its resting place at the 
Royal Automobile Museum for the occasion.  Accompanied by a 
fleet of shiny red Jeeps carrying heavily armed security 
guards, the couple waved cheerfully to the crowd who threw 
candy and flowers.  Enhancing his striking resemblance to his 
late father in voice and appearance, Hamza donned his 
well-appointed olive drab military uniform (replete with 
medals from campaigns unknown) and red and white checkered 
keffiyah for the occasion, while Noor wore a conservative 
white lace dress and veil. 
 
5.  (U)  The procession shut down parts of the city, blocking 
roads and closing traffic circles, for a few hours Thursday 
evening, much to the chagrin of residents eager to start 
their weekend but caught in traffic jams.  Thousands of elite 
special forces lined the streets of major thoroughfares, 
snipers adorned rooftops, and security reinforced already 
tight security at hotels and government buildings. 
Limousines appointed with state flags whisked dignitaries 
through security for direct deposit at the Palace; most other 
guests reported dutifully to King Hussein Sports City to 
catch special buses for the Palace reception.  The British 
Ambassador won a hard-fought battle for permission to walk 
across the street from his home to attend the reception, 
however. 
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FOREIGN ROYALS DESCEND ON AMMAN, IRANIANS LODGE A PROTEST 
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6.  (U)  European and Arab diplomatic missions (not to 
mention the five-star hotels that housed them) were in a 
frenzy all week answering the whims of their respective 
dignitaries.  European royalty was well represented: Queen 
Fabiola of Belgium, Queen Sophia of Spain, King Carl XVI 
Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, and Britain's Prince 
Andrew joined the festivities.  The Sultan of Brunei, 
Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Saudi 
Prince Salman Bin Abdel Aziz, and Egypt's first lady Suzanne 
Mubarak also attended.  Spanish newlyweds Crown Prince Filipe 
and Princess Letizia attended the festivities, and reportedly 
planned to continue their honeymoon in Jordan.  As part of 
the Hashemites' careful effort to repair relations with the 
Al-Saud, Prince Salman received particular attention, with 
the King hosting a lunch in his honor, despite the other 
distractions. 
 
7.  (U)  The presence of Farah Diba, the wife of the late 
Shah of Iran, for the festivities sparked a protest from 
Iran, as an Iranian MFA official told a reporter that 
Iranian-Jordanian relations could suffer because of it.  GOJ 
spokesperson Asma Khader acknowledged the complaint, saying 
only that Diba visited Jordan to attend a social event, and 
that it should not have bearing on political relations. 
 
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MANY JORDANIANS (PRIVATELY) SNIPE AT THE AFFAIR 
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8.  (C)  Most Jordanians watched the wedding live via 
state-run Jordan TV Thursday evening (and rebroadcast the 
next day), free to critique the event in the comfort (and 
privacy) of their own homes.  Several Jordanians confided to 
Poloff that they believed the reception was a poorly 
organized event, unbefitting a favorite son of King Hussein. 
The Jordanian rumor mill also went into high gear during the 
weekend, most of which could not be independently confirmed. 
 
9.  (C)  Many Jordanian guests were annoyed at the poor 
planning of the outdoor garden reception.  While dignitaries 
were whisked past security directly into the palace, most 
others were told to report to Hussein Sport City by five in 
the evening to catch buses to the Palace.  Wilted hair, 
sweaty collars, and sore feet prompted several to complain 
about being left to cool their heels in the hot sun for hours 
(chairs apparently were in short supply).  The royal couple 
finally arrived around eight, and guests stood for another 
two hours in line as each and every guests made their way 
through the receiving line. 
 
10.  (C)  According to at least two anonymous sources, the 
receiving line was not a happy scene.   The divorced parents 
of the bride stood side by side but reportedly did not speak 
the entire time.  Her father supposedly was still miffed that 
CP Hamza overruled his demand to include his new wife (his 
former secretary and allegedly the reason for the divorce) in 
the receiving line.  Inevitable tensions between Queen Noor 
and Queen Rania were palpable, according to others.  A 
contact reported rumors that former Crown Prince Hassan was a 
no-show at the Amman reception (but reportedly attended the 
party in Aqaba), noting his son, Prince Rashid appeared 
uncomfortable in the family wedding portrait. 
 
11.  (C)  Of course, no Jordanian social event would be 
complete without intense analysis of the (female) 
participants' attire.  The bride's simple (and conservative) 
dress surprised many Jordanians used to elaborate hair dos, 
stylish gowns and heavy makeup that usually adorn Jordanian 
brides.  However, many women appreciated her natural look, 
long put off by the pretentiousness of some other royals. 
That said, many noted that Princess Noor's (perhaps U.S. 
college student-inspired) "natural" look paled in comparison 
to her glamorous mother-in-law, Queen Noor, and the stylish 
(outlandish in the minds of some conservative Jordanians) 
Queen Rania. 
 
12.  (C)  On a more serious note, EmbOffs heard repeated 
criticism about the lavishness of the weekend's events at a 
time of great suffering and upheaval in the region.  One 
Jordanian teacher noted that the crowds lining the streets 
were smaller than past royal weddings, indicative of the 
non-celebratory mood of the people.  Another complained that 
the hor d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages served at the 
Amman reception were "chickenfeed" compared to the lavish 
party and sitdown dinner offered to mostly foreign 
dignitaries the next night in Aqaba. 
COMMENT 
13.  (C)  Another royal wedding has come and gone, but 
Jordanians continue to (quietly) gossip about the extravagant 
lifestyles of their royals and the future of the monarchy. 
Most Jordanians appear pleased with the marriage -- the 
bride's Jordanian nationality may be a significant factor -- 
but the event was clouded by family rivalries and gossip 
about the royal family.  Perhaps in part due to his striking 
resemblance to his father, many Jordanians hold young Prince 
Hamza in high regard.  However, they also fully expect that 
once King Abdullah's nine-year-old son, Prince Hussein, comes 
of age, he will replace Hamza as Crown Prince. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman or access the site 
through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. 
GNEHM