It was meant to be two days of positivity, highlighting crucial humanitarian work being carried out in a Middle Eastern country. Instead, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s visit to Jordan stirred up controversy after the royal family there snubbed them, the British ambassador to the country was slammed for hosting the couple on their “faux” royal tour and a diplomat accused them of
using sick children as props.
Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, were invited to Jordan by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation. Their whirlwind trip included visits to various charitable organisations, including a refugee camp, a children’s hospital and a centre for people recovering from addiction.
No royal welcome in Jordan
But there was no contact with the Jordanian royal family, other than a brief interaction at one of the charities with an aunt of the current king, Abdullah II. Harry’s father, King Charles, and his brother, Prince William, both have close ties to the royals there, so Harry and Meghan being ignored was seen as a major snub.
A source says the fact Harry and Meghan didn’t receive a traditional welcome from King Abdullah showed they are regarded as “pseudo” royals.
No red-carpet treatment for Harry and Meghan
“There was no red-carpet treatment, even though King Abdullah met officials from the World Health Organisation who have been behind this visit by the duke and duchess.”
Abdullah, 64, who was educated in Britain, and his wife Queen Rania were special guests at Charles’ coronation in 2023. Charles, 77, and Abdullah are good friends, and Rania, 55, has met with Queen Camilla, 78, several times to discuss women’s issues.
Private visit sparks diplomatic drama
Their son, Crown Prince Hussein, 31, gets on well with Prince William, 43, with the pair meeting up several times in recent years, including carrying out a joint visit to an RAF base. William and the Princess of Wales, 44, were guests at Hussein’s wedding in 2023.
The Sussexes did attend a reception put on by Philip Hall, the British ambassador to Jordan, but that caused drama back in the UK, with the Foreign Office criticised for hosting them as they are private citizens and were not in Jordan on an official visit.
However, it was pointed out that Dr Tedros was invited to the event, and Harry and Meghan attended as his guests.
