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The Prince and Princess of Wales lead guests at Jordan royal wedding - best photos

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif's nuptials

Prince William and Kate pictured leaving the wedding ceremony
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
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The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the royal wedding of the year, as Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend and architect, Rajwa Al Saif.

They joined a number of royals at the Jordan royal wedding, including Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary and Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

The couple were also joined at the wedding by William's cousin, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, as well as Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her younger sister, Pippa, and her husband, James Matthews. 

It comes after William and Kate were spotted arriving in Jordan on Wednesday evening. 

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania greeted guests as they arrived at the palace, with the queen wowing in a black gown with gold detailing by Dior

Queen Rania, in Dior, alongside her husband King Abdullah© Royal Hashemite Court
Queen Rania, in Dior, alongside her husband King Abdullah
Queen Rania and fellow guests at Prince Hussein's wedding© Royal Hashemite Court
140 guests witnessed the wedding ceremony

The king and queen had a long conversation with the Prince and Princess of Wales as they arrived. See their sweet interaction in the clip below...

WATCH: William and Kate make dazzling entrance at Jordan royal wedding

William wore a navy suit with a blue patterned tie, while Kate looked beautiful in a blush pink gown by Elie Saab and styled her brunette locks in loose curls for the occasion. 

The couple are good friends with the King and Queen's son, Prince Hussein© Royal Hashemite Court
The couple are good friends with the King and Queen's son, Prince Hussein
The couple's attendance was revealed the night before as they were pictured entering their hotel in Jordan© Royal Hashemite Court
The couple's attendance was revealed the night before as they were pictured entering their hotel in Jordan
KateMiddleton wearing an Elie Saab dress from 2017© Royal Hashemite Court
Kate stunned in an Elie Saab dress from 2017
Kate Middleton in an Elie Saab pink dress alongside Prince William© Royal Hashemite Court
Kate looked stunning in a pink Elie Saab dress, the same designer chosen by the bride

Mum-of-one Beatrice looked gorgeous in an embellished dress from Needle & Thread

Princess Beatrice looking incredible in a Needle & Thread dress
Beatrice looked incredible in a Needle & Thread dress
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo walking out of the royal wedding ceremony© Royal Hashemite Court
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzimake a surprise appearance at the royal wedding
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi shaking hands with King Abdullah and Queen Rania© Royal Hashemite Court
The couple spoke briefly to King Abdullah and Queen Rania ahead of the ceremony

The Princess of Wales's mother Carole was spotted in the crowd at the reception, wearing a blue lace gown, with her daughter Pippa matching her in a similar dress. 

Carole and Pippa matched in blue dresses© The National News
Carole and Pippa matched in blue dresses
Carole, Pippa and her husband James Matthews could be seen looking at Queen Rania © The National News
Carole, Pippa and her husband James Matthews could be seen looking at Queen Rania
Crown Prince Hussein wore a similar suit to the one worn by his dad when he married Rania© Shutterstock
Crown Prince Hussein wore a similar suit to the one worn by his dad when he married Rania

A first look at royal bride Rajwa, as she is accompanied by Hussein's younger brother, Prince Hashem. 

Rajwa Al-Saif arriving at her wedding ceremony in a Rolls Royce© Shutterstock
Rajwa Al-Saif arrived at her wedding ceremony in a Rolls Royce
Rajwa Al-Saif walking to the altar with her groom's younger brother, Prince Hashem© Royal Hashemite Courtc
The bride walked to the altar with her groom's younger brother, Prince Hashem
Rajwa Al-Saif wearing an Elie Saab dress on her wedding day© Royal Hashemite Court
The bride looked gorgeous in a custom made Elie Saab wedding dress

Rajwa looked beautiful in a fitted white column gown by Elie Saab, with an asymmetric wrap neckline, ruched bodice and, most impressively, a long embroidered train attached to the waist.

Upon their marriage, a Royal Decree was issued to bestow the title of Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein on the bride. 

The bride and her brother-in-law moments before the ceremony began© Royal Hashemite Court
The bride and her brother-in-law moments before the ceremony began

William and Kate were seen congratulating Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa after the ceremony. 

Prince William and Kate talking to Prince Hussein and Rajwa after the wedding© The National News
Prince William and Kate spoke to the bride and groom following the ceremony

Belgium's King Philippe and his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, were among the guests, along with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden.

Princess Elisabeth getting out of a car© Shutterstock
Princess Elisabeth wore a gorgeous purple dress to the ceremony
Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel© Royal Hashemite Court
Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima © Getty
King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima

Queen Maxima looked stunning in a blue printed Luisa Beccaria gown, with fluted sleeves, while Crown Princess Victoria opted for a floral dress from By Malina. 

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel of Sweden© Getty
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel of Sweden
Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and Princess Eeuphelma © Getty
Queen Jetsun of Bhutan and Princess Eeuphelma

Crown Princess Mary opted for a floral number by Erdem.

Princess Mary and Prince Frederick of Denmark© Royal Hashemite Court
Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark
US First Lady Jill Biden and her daughter Ashley© Royal Hashemite Court
US First Lady Jill Biden arrived alongside her daughter Ashley

Other royals at the ceremony included Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and former King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife, Queen Sofia. 

Prince Haakon attended without Princess Mette-Marit© Royal Hashemite Court
Prince Haakon attended without Princess Mette-Marit
King Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain© Royal Hashemite Court
King Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain

Here's everything you need to know about the Jordan royal wedding, and the special friendship between the British and Jordanian royal families.

Jordan royal wedding - as it happened

Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif were married in an Islamic marriage ceremony known as "katb ktab" in the gardens at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan. Around 140 guests were in attendance at the nuptials, including members of the Royal Hashemite family, foreign royals and heads of state.

Princess Rajwa and Prince Hussein on a Range Rover after their wedding ceremony© Shutterstock
Princess Rajwa and Prince Hussein used a Range Rover that was specially customized for the late Queen's official visit to Jordan in 1984

The newlyweds travellled from Zahran Palace to Al Husseiniya Palace in a procession known as the Red Motorcade. The Motorcade consisted of eight bright red armed Land Rover vehicles and 11 motorcycles.

RELATED: The incredible nod to the late Queen and Prince Philip at Prince Hussein's royal wedding 

The couple waved to thousands of people lined up in the streets© Shutterstock
The couple waved to thousands of people lined up in the streets

A wedding reception took at Al Husseiniya Palace with over 1,700 guests in attendance, and performances by local and regional singers, as well as a choir, Jordanian bands, the national orchestra and folk dance troupes. The reception concluded with the traditional cutting of the wedding cake.

rania iman pre wedding party© Getty
Princess Iman's henna party was held at Al Husseiniya Palace in March

After the main reception, a wedding banquet took place at Al Husseiniya Palace, which was attended by members of the Royal Hashemite Family, foreign and Arab heads of states, and high-ranking officials. 

The friendship between the British and Jordanian royal families

Jordan holds personal memories for Kate, who lived in the country for nearly three years as a child when her father, Michael Middleton, relocated to the capital of Amman in his role as a British Airways manager.

William opened up about his wife's childhood in Jordan as Crown Prince Hussein hosted him during a tour of the Middle East in 2018. The then Duchess of Cambridge had just given birth to the couple's youngest child, Prince Louis, and couldn't join her husband on the trip.

Crown Prince Hussein hosted Prince William on his visit to Jordan in 2018© Getty
Crown Prince Hussein hosted Prince William on his visit to Jordan in 2018

Chatting to the chief executive of Save the Children, Rania Malki, William said: "She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her."

But Kate got the chance to show her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, around the beloved country she once called home, during a family holiday to the ancient city of Petra in 2021.

The Princess of Wales also has shared interests with Queen Rania – both are mothers with a passion for children's welfare.

In a TV interview with CNN to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022, mother-of-four Rania praised future Queen Consort Kate.

"Princess Catherine, when she talks about her work, her face lights up," Rania said. "She does it out of a sense of duty but more importantly, she does it because she absolutely cares."

She added: "When she talks about her work, she'd say: 'I'm just lucky to be doing this, I have the privilege of doing that'. So, she gives from her heart. And again, there is a sense of sincerity and a sense of love in everything that she does."

William and Kate speaking with Queen Rania and King Abdullah at a Windsor Castle reception in 2012© Getty
William and Kate speaking with Queen Rania and King Abdullah at a Windsor Castle reception in 2012

As future Kings, Prince William and Crown Prince Hussein appeared to hit it off during William's 2018 trip to Jordan, with the pair pictured watching the World Cup together, in a candid snap posted on Hussein's Instagram account.

Links between Britain and Jordan go way back – King Abdullah's mother is British-born Princess Muna al-Hussein, who was born in Suffolk and changed her name from Antoinette Avril Gardiner upon her marriage to Abdullah's father, King Hussein.

Abdullah studied at Pembroke College at the University of Oxford, and began his military career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

It's something he has in common with Princes William and Harry, who graduated from the military school. Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman and Princess Salma are also Sandhurst alumni. 

The King and Queen of Jordan enjoyed several audiences with the late Queen Elizabeth II, with Abdullah referring to the monarch in a BBC interview as a "beacon of light and hope" and a "life-long family friend" as Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee last June. 

Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania of Jordan attended the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla © Getty
Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania of Jordan attended the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

Abdullah and Rania were also among the foreign royals to pay their respects to the late Queen at her state funeral.

The King and Queen also attended King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation at Westminster Abbey earlier last month. 

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