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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Jordan Visit Concludes Without Meeting With Senior Jordanian Royals

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit to Jordan concludes without a meeting with King Abdullah II. Read about their aid work and the public response.

By Krittika Mukherjee
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are currently on a whistle-stop tour of the Middle East. The visit drew attention as observers noted the absence of a formal meeting between the couple and Jordan’s senior leadership, including King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein. After the Sussexes arrived in Jordan’s capital Amman late night on Tuesday, February 24, they immediately began visiting charity organizations and humanitarian projects. Their schedule mainly included meetings with aid groups and health officials. As the couple made public visits, media personnel got the opportunity to click several pictures, which went viral on social media. However, despite making headlines with their arrival, the couple were not received by the country’s top royals. Meanwhile, Harry and Markle attended an event at the British ambassador’s residence in Amman. They met officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and members of the British Embassy staff. Former Conservative minister Tim Loughton criticized their visits and engagements, calling it “entirely inappropriate.” Loughton stated that since Harry and Markle are no longer working members of the British royal family, it seems inappropriate for them to be hosted in such a way. “They are not working royals and do not represent the British government or United Kingdom (UK) PLC. Given their capacity to say unhelpful things which border on political, giving them an official platform could be construed as them saying something that represents official U.K. policy” Loughton told Daily Mail. He added, “It would be legitimate for the embassy to assist on security issues and neutral briefing but not anything that platforms them on what should clearly be seen as a private visit by private individuals.” On Wednesday, February 25, Markle visited a rehabilitation center in Amman, as part of their trip, which seemed majorly focused on humanitarian causes. The trip was aligned with their charity work through Archewell Philanthropies, their foundation based in California. However, throughout their trip, what has drawn the most attention is how Jordan's royal family seemingly dodged meeting Harry and Markle. Despite being in Jordan, there was no meeting scheduled between the Sussexes and Abdullah or Hussein. According to sources in Jordan, “There is no meeting scheduled between the duke and duchess [of Sussex] and the Jordanian royal family.” This has particularly raised eyebrows because Abdullah shares a close relationship with King Charles III. Abdullah and Queen Rania were present as VVIPs during Charles’s coronation, and the two queens have also held meetings in the past. Even Hussein is quite friendly with Prince William, having spent time together in both Britain and Jordan. Despite such close connections, the only Jordanian royal the Sussexes briefly met was Princess Basma bint Talal, an aunt of Abdullah. Meanwhile, the king appeared to be busy with other engagements, where he held talks with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is leading the Sussexes’ trip to Jordan. Following this, insiders said, “The fact the duke and duchess of Sussex haven't met King Abdullah and been given the traditional royal welcome is glaringly obvious.” They added, “There has been no red carpet treatment, even though King Abdullah has met officials from the World Health Origination, who are behind this visit by the duke and duchess.” Additionally, another source told the Daily Mail, “It’s a pseudo royal visit, mimicking many of the things they or William and Kate would have done when they were part of the royal family, but it seems to be lacking in the ceremonial side of things.” So, while the couple was welcomed by British diplomats in Amman, the absence of meetings with Jordan’s senior royals still raises questions.

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