Happy Birthday to Princess Alia bint Hussein of Jordan, who turns 70 today! The eldest sister of the Jordanian King has worn this spectacular Diamond Tiara for 50 years!
But first, let’s learn about Princess Alia! The eldest daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and Princess Dina Abdul-Hamid of Hejaz, Princess Alia is the eldest sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Educated in Amman and England, particularly at the Benenden School in Kent and the Millfield School in Somerset, Princess Alia got a degree in English literature from the University of Jordan in 1977. Princess Alia married Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza in 1977 and had one son before divorcing in 1988, when she married Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh and had two further sons. An avid equestrian and horse breeder, Princess Alia has held a 2 Dan Black Belt Taekwondo since the 1980s, and enjoys collecting stamps, reading and sports in addition to her Princess Alia Foundation and her ‘Arabian Horse at Home’ Festival. We wish HRH a very Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns!
The exact origin of this antique Diamond Tiara is unknown but it may have been acquired by King Hussein for his eldest daughter in the mid-1970s, which would be unusual since his other daughters have only ever worn jewels from their individual mothers. It is also possible that this Tiara may have been an heirloom of Princess Alia’s maternal family, who were the senior branch of the Hashemite Dynasty which ruled Hejaz, Jordan, Iraq and Syria following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
One of the earliest appearances of the Diamond Tiara was in 1976, when Princess Alia accompanied King Hussein and Queen Alia on the Jordanian State Visit to Japan.
The following year, Princess Alia wore the Diamond Tiara for her Wedding to Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza at the Raghadan Palace.
After a few appearances in the 1980s, Princess Alia notably wore her Diamond Tiara when she joined King Abdullah and Queen Rania for the Jordanian State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Madrid in 1999.
The following year, the Diamond Tiara was worn by Princess Alia for the State Banquet at the Royal Palace of Oslo during on the Jordanian State Visit to Norway in 2000.
Most recently, Princess Alia wore her Diamond Tiara for the Wedding Gala of her nephew, Crown Prince Hussein at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman in 2023. Lets hope we see this magnificent jewel worn again soon!
