| Muna | |
|---|---|
) Princess Muna with sons Abdullah and Faisal (left) in 1964 | |
| Princess consort of Jordan | |
| Tenure | 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1971 |
| Born | Toni Avril Gardiner 25 April 1941 Chelmondiston, Suffolk, England |
| Spouse | Hussein of Jordan (m. 1961; div. 1971) |
| Issue | Abdullah II of Jordan Prince Faisal Princess Aisha Princess Zein |
| House | Hashemite (by marriage) |
| Father | Walter Percy Gardiner |
| Mother | Doris Elizabeth Sutton |
Princess Muna Al-Hussein (Arabic: منى الحسين, born Toni Avril Gardiner; 25 April 1941) is the mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan. She was the second wife of King Hussein; the couple divorced on 21 December 1971. She is British by birth, and changed her name to Muna Al-Hussein upon marriage.
Early life
Muna Al-Hussein was born Toni Avril Gardiner in Chelmondiston, Suffolk, England, the daughter of Doris Elizabeth (née Sutton) and Walter Percy "Tony" Gardiner. She attended Bourne School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was administered by the British Families Education Service for the children of British service personnel stationed overseas, where she was an A-grade field hockey player. The school closed when British forces withdrew from Malaya.
Gardiner's father was a British Army officer who finished his career with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was the son of Arthur Gardiner, a gamekeeper. He joined the Royal Engineers at the age of 17, and was stationed in Mandatory Palestine for 18 months in the 1930s. He later served in France, North Africa, and Italy during World War II.[1][2]
Marriage and children
Gardiner met the King of Jordan, Hussein, while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed his troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to monitor the production's progress. However, there is another report, stating that Gardiner and the King met when her father began to work as a military adviser in Jordan.[2]
Gardiner married King Hussein in Amman, Jordan, on 25 May 1961. Together they had four children:
- Abdullah (born 1962; now King Abdullah II of Jordan)
- Faisal (born 1963)
- Aisha (born 1968, twin of Princess Zein)
- Zein (born 1968, twin of Princess Aisha)
They were divorced on 21 December 1971. After her divorce, she was allowed to keep the style of Royal Highness and the title of Princess of Jordan. She continues to work and live in Jordan.
Causes and activities
She is involved in the development of nursing in Jordan, founding the Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing.[3] In 1962, she founded the Princess Muna College of Nursing, now the Princess Muna College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.[4]
Honours
National
Jordan: 
Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali
Knight Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance, Special Class[5]
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Foreign
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Iranian Imperial Family: 
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Honorary Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Defender of the Realm[11]
Romanian Royal Family: 
Tunisia:
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References
- ^ "Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Gardiner". The Telegraph. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ a b Ewing, Richard (5 February 1999). "Prince's secretary mum who married a king". Coventy Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Princess Muna Scholarship Fund for Nursing Archived 22 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Kafd.jo. Retrieved on 28 July 2015.
- ^ "Princess Muna College". jrms.gov.jo. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
- ^ a b Princess Muna wearing the Orders of the Supreme Renaissance and of the Republic
- ^ Tripod
- ^ Pinimg
- ^ Iran Collection
- ^ Pinimg
- ^ Iran Politics Club
- ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1965" (PDF).
- ^ Romania Regala
- ^ Romania Regala
- ^ Romania Regala
- ^ Youtube
- ^ Order of the Republic
External links
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid as queen consort | Princess consort of Jordan 25 May 1961 – 21 December 1972 | Succeeded by Alia al-Hussein as queen consort |