Queen Rania of Jordan may not be the most well-known royal mother in the world, but she’s definitely one of the most dedicated.
The wife of Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan wasn’t born into royalty – in fact, she and her family fled the Gulf War in Kuwait in 1991.
That was what led Rania to Jordan where she met her husband, then a prince, at a colleague’s dinner party in 1993.
At the time, Rania had a regular job in marketing, but the prince was smitten and their whirlwind romance began.
Rania wed Prince Abdullah II of Jordan in 1993 and became a royal overnight.
(Image: Getty)
The couple wed just six months after they first met, tying the knot in a lavish ceremony at the Zahran Palace in Amman on June 10, 1993.
After such a quick courtship, it seemed unreal that Rania had gone from a regular univeristy-educated woman to a Jordanian royal in less than a year.
But an even bigger surprise would come in 1999, when Abdullah’s father died and he became the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, making Rania queen consort.
It also meant that their eldest son Hussein, born in 1994, was now the Crown Prince and heir to his father’s throne.
WATCH: Queen Rania of Jordan marks Ramadan 2021 with a stunning video. Story continues after video.
Meanwhile their youngest at the time, Princess Iman, born in 1996, had become the daughter of a king and queen overnight.
Abdullah and Rania would go on to have two more children, Princess Salma in 2000 and Prince Hashem in 2005.
Since their arrivals, the family of six have been one of the most tight-knit (and genetically blessed) crown families around the world.
In honour of their incredible story and beautiful bond, we’ve collected some of Queen Rania’s best family photos with her husband and children through the years.
Queen Rania and King Abdullah II of Jordan welcomed their first child and Abdullah’s heir, Crown Prince Hussein, on June 28, 1994.
Here they pose in 2000 with Hussein and their first daughter Iman, born on September 27, 1996, in Jordan.
Though Iman is the second eldest child, she isn’t currently in line for the Jordanian throne, as it only passes to male heirs.
Regardless of her place in the royal line of succession, Rania adores Iman and King Abdullah has always included her in major royal events.
The couple welcomed their third child, Princess Salma, on September 26, 2000, just one day before Iman’s fourth birthday.
Salma is also not included in the royal line of succession, but has played a public role in the royal family since she was young.
Queen Rania has taken Salma on several royal trips, including this visit to the Sami village of Jukkasjaervi outside Kiruna in northern Sweden, on October 9, 2003.
Rania and Abdullah’s fourth child Prince Hashem arrived on January 30, 2005, pictured here in his mother’s arms in December 2005 while sister Princess Salma walks beside them.
King Abdullah helped Salma cut her Scooby-Doo birthday cake as Queen Rania and the other royal children watched on September 28, 2006.
Prince Hashem may be the couple’s youngest child, but he is currently second in line to inherit his father’s throne after older brother Hussein.
Little Hashem was out and about at royal events from a young age, as in this photo captured at the King’s Physical Fitness award ceremony on May 27, 2008.
Queen Rania hasn’t always been a royal and she’s clearly very down-to-earth when it comes to her kids. She was spotted out on a walk with Hashem and Salma on April 22, 2009 during a royal visit to Washington, DC.
It was clear Iman had inherited her mother’s beauty when they were photographed on an official visit to Rome, Italy.
The similarities between mother and daughter were even more obvious when King Abdullah and Queen Rania brough their daughter along for the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in 2010.
Meanwhile Crown Prince Hussein took after both of his parents as he grew into a young man – and future king.
There’s no denying the great genes in this royal family photo from 2020.
Meanwhile the two princesses, Iman and Salma, look more like their radiant mother every day.
Each year Queen Rania shares a photo with her daughters for their birthdays – which are just one day apart – and fans are stunned by just how similar the trio look.
In December 2021, Rania shared this family photo to her personal Instagram account with a message of well-wishes for the New Year ahead.
“May your years be filled with love and light. Happy birthday, Prince Hashem,” the queen captioned this tender mother-son portrait on January 30, 2022.
