Queen Alia remembered

AMMAN — Wednesday marks the 45th anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Queen Alia, who passed away on February 9, 1977.

The late queen, who was born in Cairo in December 1948, died in a helicopter crash while returning from an inspection trip to Tafileh Hospital in southern Jordan.

Queen Alia, born Alia Baha Uddin Toukan, married His Majesty King Hussein in 1971.

They had two children: Their Royal Highnesses Princess Haya and Prince Ali. In 1972, they adopted Abeer Moheisen.

Active in charity and social work, Queen Alia represented Jordanian women at many international conferences, serving as a model for Arab women in supporting their causes and their participation in socio-economic development.

In commemoration of Queen Alia, Princess Haya set up Tkiyet Um Ali, which provides assistance to underprivileged families.

Launched in 2006, the project was originally an idea introduced by the late queen who wanted to help underprivileged families.

The term “tkiyet” dates back to the Ottoman days, when prominent families opened facilities on their estates to offer food to the poor and homeless.