Middle East & Africa | Uneasy lies the head

A feud in Jordan’s royal family

The arrest of a popular prince sends a chilling message to a frustrated public

|DUBAI

EVERY ROYAL family is unhappy in its own way. Jordan’s is no exception. There were sharp disagreements between King Hussein and Crown Prince Hassan, the brotherly duo who ruled the desert kingdom for decades. Weeks before his death in 1999, the ailing king flew back from an American hospital to remove his brother from the line of succession and make his son, Abdullah, heir apparent. But the Hashemites usually show a united front: Prince Hassan accepted his defenestration in silence.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Family feud”

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