Princess Basma bint Talal

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Princess Basma bint Talal
Born (1951-05-11) 11 May 1951 (age 72)
Amman, Jordan
Spouse Timoor Daghistani
(m. 1970; div. 197?)
Walid al-Kurdi
(m. 1980)
Issue
  • Farah Daghistani
  • Ghazi Daghistani
  • Saad al-Kurdi
  • Zein Al-Sharaf al-Kurdi
Names
Basma bint Talal bin Abdullah bin Hussein
House Hashemite
Father Talal of Jordan
Mother Zein al-Sharaf
Religion Islam

Princess Basma bint Talal (born 11 May 1951) is the only daughter of King Talal and Queen Zein of Jordan, sister of Hussein of Jordan and paternal aunt to the current king, King Abdullah II.

Contents

Background

Princess Basma, as an infant, among her siblings, c. 1952-53: (L to R) Prince Hassan, Hussein of Jordan, Princess Basma, and Prince Muhammad. Koning Hussein met jongere familieleden, prins Hassan, prins Mohammad en prinses, Bestanddeelnr 255-5064.jpg
Princess Basma, as an infant, among her siblings, c. 1952-53: (L to R) Prince Hassan, Hussein of Jordan, Princess Basma, and Prince Muhammad.

Basma's father became King of Jordan two months after she was born as a result of the assassination of her grandfather King Abdullah I in Jerusalem. King Talal was forced to abdicate as King for health reasons in 1952, when Basma was one year old. He lived on until 1972. Her mother was Queen Zein (1916–1994). After her father's abdication, her older brother Hussein (1935–1999) ascended the throne, and her mother was queen regent until Hussein came of age in 1953.

Education

Basma was educated at Ahliyyah School for Girls in Amman, then in England at Benenden School (where she was a friend of Princess Anne) and University of Oxford, where she read Modern Languages.

In 2001, she was awarded a DPhil degree by Oxford University for a thesis entitled Contextualising development in Jordan: the arena of donors, state and NGOs.

Marriage and career

Basma first married Colonel Timoor Daghistani in Amman on 2 April 1970. They had two children: Farah Daghistani and Ghazi Daghistani. In the late 1970s they were divorced. Basma went on to marry Walid al-Kurdi in Amman on 14 April 1980, and they also had two children: Saad al-Kurdi and Zein Al-Sharaf al-Kurdi.

Since the late 1970s, Basma has worked to promote human development, gender equity and children's charities. Through forums that include the United Nations she contributes to the global debates on health, education, population and the environment.

Appointments

Title, styles and honours

Title

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Awards

National award

Foreign awards

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