Queen Rania marks her birthday

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania celebrated her birthday on Saturday, August 31. The occasion comes during a landmark year for Jordan, as the nation celebrates the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty King Abdullah, marking the 25th anniversary of his accession to the Throne.

Earlier this year, King Abdullah bestowed upon Queen Rania the Order of the Bejewelled Grand Cordon of Nahda, in appreciation of her 25 years of distinguished public service. His Majesty presented the honour to the Queen in recognition of her leading role in the advancement of Jordanian society and her efforts to support Jordanians in all fields.

“Every time I enter a Jordanian village or home, its people ask me to convey to you their greetings and their appreciation for your efforts to develop our country and create a brighter, more hopeful future for our children,” His Majesty wrote, in a public letter addressed to the Queen marking the occasion. “I see, in their eyes, love for the wife of their King and the mother of their Crown Prince.”

Over the past 25 years, Her Majesty’s unwavering commitment to serve Jordan alongside His Majesty has led her to establish various initiatives that complement and support the work of local institutions in the areas of education and community empowerment, according to a statement from Her Majesty’s Office. 

In 2013, she established the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development, which works to identify and address educational gaps in Jordan and the region. The Queen also heads a number of educational initiatives, including Edraak, the first non-profit Arabic massive open online course platform; the Queen Rania Teacher Academy, which promotes teacher training to meet students’ learning needs; and Madrasati, which has overseen the renovation of hundreds of public schools in Jordan and occupied East Jerusalem.

Among Her Majesty’s other noteworthy contributions to local education are the establishment of Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans, which supports the education and training of orphans over the age of 18, and the Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education, which honours the efforts of exemplary educators across the Kingdom, the statement said. 

In recognition of the critical role families play in Jordanian society, Her Majesty established the National Council for Family Affairs to empower and support local families through various social development programmes. Additionally, as chair of the Jordan River Foundation, a non-profit committed to community empowerment and child safety, Her Majesty has actively contributed to the expansion of the foundation’s programmes, inaugurating the Jordan River Designs showroom to promote handmade creations by local women. 

Throughout 2024, Queen Rania joined the King on several visits across Jordan, including Madaba, Irbid, Aqaba and the Central Badia. Held in celebration of the Silver Jubilee, the visits aimed to recognise the contributions and successes of Jordanians over the past 25 years, as well as Jordan’s progress over the past quarter of a century, according to the statement. 

On the international stage, this year, Queen Rania added her voice to those of countless others around the world calling for an immediate end to the Israeli war on Gaza, and urging a just and peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in October, 2023, Her Majesty decried the world’s double standard in the face of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, the statement said. 

“I just want to remind the world that Palestinian mothers love their children just as much as any other mother in the world. And for them to have to go through this, it is just unbelievable,” Her Majesty said, and noted that speaking out against the war “is about speaking up for humanity”, and “about choosing the people, the everyday people on both sides”.

In another interview, Her Majesty condemned the massive causalities in Gaza, especially among children: “These are not just numbers. Each one of these children was somebody’s everything,” she said.

Her Majesty also continuously reiterated calls for a lasting ceasefire. Speaking at the Web Summit in Qatar earlier this year, the Queen urged an end to the obstruction of desperately-needed aid and prompted those standing in solidarity with Palestinians to continue their show of support and not give up. 

“We need a ceasefire. A cease to the destruction… A cease to the displacement… A cease to the deprivation by design. This war must end, now… the inhumane obstruction of aid delivery must end… and the hostages and detainees on both sides must go home,” she said.

In other televised appearances, Her Majesty asked the international community to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza and warned of the “very dangerous precedent” that Israeli atrocities are setting for the rest of the world.

“As cruel and ugly as the war in Gaza is, the state of our rules-based world order is looking exponentially worse,” Queen Rania explained. “These legal frameworks are there to ensure that all countries adhere to a standard of conduct. They’re either applicable to everyone, or they’re not. Either everyone is accountable, or no one is.”

Throughout the year, Her Majesty also met with representatives of various international organisations operating in the Gaza Strip, including UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Save the Children, to discuss their efforts on the ground and the near-impossible task of providing basic assistance to Gaza’s population.