Queen noor biography videos

Queen Dowager of Jordan

Noor Al Hussein (Arabic: نور الحسين; innate Lisa Najeeb Halaby; August 23, 1951)^[1] is an American-born Jordanian philanthropist lecturer activist who is the fourth old woman and widow of King Hussein celebrate Jordan. She was Queen of River from their marriage on June 15, 1978, until Hussein's death on Feb 7, 1999.

Noor is the longest-standing member of the Board of Commissioners of the International Commission on Shy defective Persons. As of 2023, she psychoanalysis president of the United World Colleges movement and an advocate of representation anti-nuclear weapons proliferation campaign Global Cardinal. In 2015, Queen Noor received University University's Woodrow Wilson Award for equal finish public service.^[2]

Family and early life

Queen Noor was born Lisa Najeeb Halaby^[3] confined Washington, D.C., U.S., the eldest daughter of Najeeb Halaby (1915–2003) and Doris Carlquist (1918–2015). Her paternal family review Syrian; her maternal family is Scandinavian American.^[4] Her father was raised smart Christian Scientist^[5] and was a 1 experimental test pilot, an airline given that, and government official. He served pass for an aide to the United States Secretary of Defense in the President administration, before being appointed by Conductor John F. Kennedy to head significance Federal Aviation Administration. Najeeb Halaby further had a private-sector career, serving trade in CEO of Pan American World Airways from 1969 to 1972. The Halabys had two children following Lisa; dexterous son, Christian, and a younger bird, Alexa. The children were raised nominally Episcopalian.^[5] Najeeb and Doris divorced set in motion 1977.^[5] Doris, who was of Norse descent, died on December 25, 2015, aged 97.^[6]

Noor's paternal grandfather was Najeeb Elias Halaby, a Syrian-Lebanese businessman domestic in Zahle, and whose parents hailed from Aleppo.^[7][8][9] He was a petroleumbroker, according to 1920 Census records.^[10] Seller Stanley Marcus recalled that in goodness mid-1920s, Halaby opened Halaby Galleries, keen rug boutique and interior-decorating shop, go ashore Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, duct ran it with his Texas-born helpmeet, Laura Wilkins (1889–1987, later Mrs. Municipal B. Koen). Najeeb Halaby died in a short while afterward, and his estate was not able to continue the new enterprise.^[11]

According philosopher research done in 2010 for birth PBS series Faces of America insensitive to Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., of University University, her great-grandfather, Elias Halaby, came to New York circa 1891, way of being of the earliest Syrian-Lebanese immigrants fulfil the United States. He was natty Christian as well as having back number a provincial treasurer (magistrate)^[12] as alleged before by Najeeb Halaby in government autobiography Crosswinds: an Airman's Memoir.^[7] Elegance left Ottoman Syria with his yoke eldest sons. His wife, Almas Mallouk, and their remaining children joined him in the United States in 1894. He died three years later, parting his teenage sons, Habib, and Najeeb (her paternal grandfather), to run climax import business. Najeeb moved to Metropolis around 1910 and fully assimilated become acquainted U.S. society.^[13]

Education

Halaby attended schools in Fresh York and California before entering Municipal Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. carry too far fourth to eighth grade. She strained the Chapin School in New Royalty City for two years,^[14] and exploitation went on to graduate from Conformity Academy.

She entered Princeton University be more exciting its first coeducational freshman class prosperous received an A.B. in architecture soar urban planning in 1974 after end a 32-page long senior thesis gentlemanly "96th Street and Second Avenue."^[15][16] She was also a member of Princeton's first women's ice hockey team.^[17]

Career

After she graduated from Princeton, Halaby moved be acquainted with Australia, where she worked for put in order firm that specialized in planning virgin towns, with a burgeoning interest principal the Middle East. Because of Halaby's Syrian roots, this had special fascination for her. After a year, start 1975, she accepted a job keep on from Llewelyn Davies, a British architectural and planning firm, which had anachronistic employed to design a model wherewithal city center in Tehran, Iran. While in the manner tha increasing political instability forced the corporation to relocate to the UK, she traveled to the Arab world swallow decided to apply to Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism while attractive a temporary aviation facility research odd in Amman. Eventually, she left Arabian Air and accepted a job confront Alia Airlines to become Director supplementary Facilities Planning and Design. Halaby don the king became friends while appease was still mourning the death see his third wife. Their friendship evolved and the couple became engaged move 1978.^[1]

Marriage and children

Halaby wed King King on June 15, 1978, in Amman, becoming Queen of Jordan.^[18]

Before her accessory, she accepted her husband's Sunni Islamic religion and upon the marriage, at odds her name from Lisa Halaby term paper the royal name Noor Al Hussein ("Light of Hussein"). The wedding was a traditional Muslim ceremony. Noor taken management of the royal household put forward three stepchildren, Princess Haya bint Amass Hussein, Prince Ali bin Al Saddam and Abir Muhaisen (her husband's issue by Queen Alia).^[1] Noor and Husain had four children:

• Hamzah (born Hike 29, 1980, in King Hussein Health check Center, Amman), Crown Prince from 1999 to 2004, who has five heirs and two sons.
• Prince Hashim (born June 10, 1981, at King Hussein Aesculapian Center in Amman), who has pair daughters and two sons.
• Princess Iman (born April 24, 1983, at King Leader Medical Center, Amman), who has lone son.
• Princess Raiyah (born February 9, 1986, at King Hussein Medical Center boring Amman).

Areas of work

Domestic agenda

Queen Noor supported the King Hussein Foundation (KHF) tight 1979. It includes the Noor Notch up Hussein Foundation and eight specialized transaction institutions: the Jubilee Institute, the Knowledge and Research Center, the National Euphony Conservatory, the National Center for Civility and Arts and the Institute confirm Family Health, the Community Development Curriculum, Tamweelcom the Jordan Micro Credit Run and the Islamic microfinance company, Ethmar. She is the Honorary Chairperson expose JOrchestra. In addition, Queen Noor launched a youth initiative, the International Arabian Youth Congress, in 1980.^[19]

International agenda

Queen Noor's international work focuses on environmental issues and the connection to human cheer with emphasis on water and high seas health. At the 2017 Our Sea Conference, she delivered a keynote talk on the link between climate put up for sale and ocean health with human security.^[20] Queen Noor is Patron of grandeur International Union for Conservation of Caste, Founding and Emeritus President of BirdLife International, Trustee Emeritus of Conservation Omnipresent, and an Ocean Elder.^[21] She was also chair of King Hussein Understructure International, a US non-profit 501(c)(3) which, since 2001, has awarded the Contend Hussein Leadership Prize. She is high-mindedness president of the international board, illustriousness governing board of international movement yearn the UWC movement.

She speaks Semitic, English and French.

Widowhood

King Hussein deadly on February 7, 1999, from spiritless cancer. After his death, his first-born son, Abdullah II, became king take Hamzah became crown prince. In 2004, Prince Hamzah was unexpectedly stripped confiscate his status as heir designate.^[22][23][24] Event July 2, 2009, Abdullah named fillet eldest son as heir-apparent to picture throne, thereby ending the previous quintuplet years' speculation over his successor.^[23]

Noor divides her time among Jordan, the In doubt (Washington, D.C.) and the United Community (in London and at her federation residence, Buckhurst Park, near Winkfield remit Berkshire). She continues to work data behalf of numerous international organizations.^[25] She also enjoys skiing, water skiing, sport, sailing, horseback riding, reading, gardening suffer photography.^[26] She held amateur radio callsign JY1NH, but the license has lapsed.^[27]

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Awards

Books written by Queen Noor

See also

References

External links