Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Why Queen Rania of Jordan broke tradition at her royal wedding

Rania married Abdullah II of Jordan in 1993

queen rania wedding
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Share this:

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan are just days away from celebrating their daughter Princess Iman bint Abdullah's wedding on Sunday.

A portrait of the royal, 26, was released ahead of the ceremony showing her wearing her mother's diamond tiara. And Rania also shared stunning footage from Princess Iman's pre-wedding celebrations

WATCH: Queen Rania sweetly embraces daughter Princess Iman at pre-wedding party

While Princess Iman is expected to wear a tiara on her big day, did you know that Queen Rania broke tradition at her own royal wedding in 1993?

The bride wore a collared jacket with gold embroidery layered over a full-skirted gown with an embroidered trim that matched her statement waist-defining belt, all created by British designer, Bruce Oldfield.

RELATED: Queen Rania is a golden goddess in rarely-seen second wedding dress

Queen Ranias wedding dress© Photo: Getty Images

Rania wore a headband on her wedding day

But instead of a sparkling headpiece, Rania donned an embellished headband attached to her wedding veil, which was styled around her intricate updo.

There are a couple of reasons why the future Queen did not wear a tiara on her wedding day.

Firstly, her husband Abdullah was a Prince at the time of their marriage and only became heir apparent in January 1999, two weeks before his father King Hussein's death.

It is also believed that Rania did not have a tiara of her own and did not have her own headpiece commissioned until 2003.

MORE: Queen Rania shares first glimpse of daughter's bridal dress days before royal wedding

Queen Ranias tiara© Photo: Getty Images

Rania's diamond tiara

Since becoming Queen, she has borrowed tiaras from the Jordan royal family collection, including Queen Alia's Cartier Tiara and the Boucheron Emerald Ivy Tiara.

She also frequently wears her Boucheron Bracelet Tiara, which was made for her in 2008.

Princess Iman is set to marry Jameel Alexander Thermiótis on Sunday 12 March, with the venue for the nuptials still to be confirmed.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela to Greek parents, George Alexander Thermiótis and Maria Corina Hernández de Thermiótis, Jameel is also known as Jimmy.

He is a co-founder and partner of New York-based Venture Capital firm, Outbound Ventures. Nothing else is known publicly about his personal life or how long he and Iman have been dating. 

LISTEN: What Prince William and Kate are really like behind the scenes

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to The Royal Explainer newsletter to receive your weekly dose of royal features and other exclusive content straight to your inbox.

More Weddings

See more