Although Muna is seen relatively frequently at public events, both in the Hashemite Kingdom and abroad, she is a princess who is generally quite unknown to the general public.
Antoniette -Toni- Avril Gardiner -the birth name of our protagonist- was the second wife of the late King Hussein of Jordan. She was born in England in April 1941, the daughter of a British military officer who was stationed in Amman in 1960.
Hussein had ascended to the throne of Jordan in 1952, at just 17 years old, as Parliament declared his father incapacitated, King Talal, who was sovereign for only a few months after the death of King Abdullah I, who was killed in an assassination attempt in which Hussein escaped unharmed. He married for the first time in 1955 to Egyptian Dina bint Abdul Hamid, who gave birth to Princess Alia shortly before being repudiated by the king. The divorce was finalized after just two years of marriage.
Thus began the womanizing phase of King Hussein, with a reputation for being a hopeless romantic, until he married Toni in 1961, who took on the title of Princess Consort of Jordan and the Arabic name Muna. It was not common then, and still isn't in most Arab monarchies, for the wives of sovereigns to be given the title of queen - hence the exceptionality of consorts like Farah Diba in Iran, whom her husband, the last Shah, wanted to grant the title of empress - although Jordan was an exception, already having had queen consorts in its history. But Muna's origins prevented this possibility from becoming a reality.
There are all kinds of rumors and legends about how King Hussein and Muna met. Three versions are particularly widespread. One says they met while she was working as a production assistant on the filmLawrence of Arabia. The Hashemite monarch visited the film set and there, a miracle happened, and they fell in love with each other. The other story is that their first encounter took place at a State reception to which Toni's father was invited due to his position, and she accompanied him. And then there's the more amusing tale, according to which the encounter happened at a select costume ball in Amman. The king was dressed as a pirate, and it is said that the first words she spoke to him were: "You look very disheveled, Your Majesty."
Who knows what is true and what isn't. The fact is that the wedding took place on May 25, 1961, a rather discreet ceremony held at the palace of the sovereign's mother. It was not without controversy, as the authorities of the time did not take kindly to the king marrying a woman who was not only foreign but not even of Arab or Muslim origin. However, they did not dare to contradict Hussein's will.
From this marriage, Abdullah was born - the current king - and Princes Faisal, Aisha, and Zein - twins. But the divorce came in 1972, the same year the monarch remarried Queen Alia. The relationship between Hussein and the mother of his eldest son remained so good that she was, in fact, one of the guests at the wedding with his fourth wife, Queen Noor.
In the divorce settlement, Muna received a palace in Amman, where she would continue to spend long periods, a fabulous mansion in London, which would eventually become her main residence, in addition to a generous pension.
Among the achievements remembered of Muna as a princess consort is her effort to establish the first Nursing Faculty in Jordan. She was always interested in issues related to health improvement and medical matters, which is why over time, like Queen Sofia, she has been so dedicated to the fight against Alzheimer's.
With the death of King Hussein in 1999, and Abdullah's ascension to the throne, Princess Muna became the mother of the king, which elevated her status in the Hashemite Court. Everything indicates that her relationship with her daughter-in-law, Queen Rania, is quite smooth. They have been seen together at countless events. For example, they both attended the wedding of the then Prince and Princess of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia, in Madrid in 2004. Princess Muna could not miss the event, among other reasons, because she has a close friendship with Queen Sofia.
One of the days when Abdullah's mother was most proud, understandably, was on June 1, 2023 when she played the role of a proud grandmother at the wedding of her grandson Hussein, the current Crown Prince, to Rajwa Al Saif. A historic day that brought together dozens of members of the world's royalty, including Queen Sofia, who exceptionally attended alongside King Juan Carlos. He confessed to his closest friends on Saturday that he would like to see his wife more often. After all, from Paris to Lyon, the distance is less than a stone's throw.