The Stunning Transformation Of Princess Rajwa

While the lives of British royals like Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Prince Harry are all over the news, you may be less familiar with other royals from around the world, like Princess Rajwa of Jordan. She is the wife of Crown Prince Al Hussein, the heir to the Jordanian throne. You may have heard of Rajwa more recently in reference to the arrival of her first child, or perhaps you remember her beautiful royal wedding. Nevertheless, much of her early life is lesser known.

Before becoming the princess, wife, and mother that she is today, Rajwa had an interesting life that took her to many parts of the world, from her home country of Saudi Arabia to the United States and, finally, to Jordan. She's had quite a journey to where she is today. 

Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, born Rajwa al-Saif, is the fourth child of Khalid al-Saif and Azza al-Sudairi. She and her older siblings, Faisal, Nayef, and Dana, were raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and come from a very well-respected Arabic family. Her father, Khalid, is a businessman, and according to the Hashemite Royal Court, their family name has a long history. "The Alseif family descends from the Subai tribe and have been the sheikhs of the town of Attar in Sudair, Najd, since the beginning of the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud" (via Town & Country). Her mother, Azza, comes from a similarly distinguished line and is in the same family as King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

Although much of Rajwa's early life has been kept private, she appears to have had a happy childhood with her family. Photos shared on Instagram of her as a child show that she learned to ride horses at an early age, a sport she enjoys to this day. With her illustrious family connections and privileged upbringing, it makes sense that Rajwa eventually crossed paths with Jordanian royalty, though those paths wouldn't cross for several years.

Princess Rajwa was an intelligent and driven student whose ambitions eventually brought her to New York. She moved to the United States for college to study architecture at Syracuse University. While in school, she, along with a handful of other students, went on a nine-day trip to Dubai to study architecture. The 2016 trip was particularly exciting for Rajwa as it was a chance to share parts of her culture with her classmates. 

Speaking about the academic trip to Syracuse University News, she said, "What made this trip so memorable for me was seeing the students in the studio experience Arabic culture and architecture for the first time. Dubai is very intriguing, having contemporary architecture while also attempting to maintain the traditional beauty of the Arabic culture and history."

A year later, the future princess graduated with the class of 2017. During her graduation ceremony, she set herself apart from the other graduates with a distinctive style choice: flashy silver sneakers.

We now know Rajwa Al Hussein as the beautiful Jordanian princess, but before marrying into the royal family, she pursued her aspirations of a career in architecture. After graduating from Syracuse University, Rajwa didn't return home immediately. Instead, she stayed in the U.S. Moving from New York to California, she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, where she earned her second degree, an associate's degree in visual communications in 2019.

Rajwa's passions went beyond the classroom and into the world. She got practical experience working in architecture at the Californian firm P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S. She then moved back to her home country Arabia, where she worked at Designlab Experience, a studio focused on creating unique experiences through architectural design (via Town and Country Magazine). Through her skills and ambition in the field, Rajwa was able to have unique experiences and explore the world in her early career. 

Like Princess Rajwa, Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan attended college in the United States. While Rajwa was in New York studying at Syracuse University, Hussein attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C., graduating in 2016 — one year ahead of his future wife.

On a rare occasion when Hussein discussed their early courtship, he shared that they met through a friend, whose name he kept anonymous. "I met Rajwa through an old friend from school," the crown prince shared in a talk, "I consider myself lucky because it is not every day you meet someone like Rajwa" (via Grazia). Whether they met in the States is not publicly known. Regardless of who introduced them or where they were introduced, the pair clearly hit it off.

The happy couple became officially engaged in 2022. On April 18, Rajwa's husband-to-be, Prince Hussein, celebrated their union by sharing an official portrait on his Instagram. In the photo, Rajwa looks elegant in a blue dress with a belted waist and billowing sleeves. She accessorized it with small silver earrings, a silver necklace, and a large diamond ring, which are visible in the photograph. Standing next to her, the prince is smiling in a dashing suit with a blue tie that matches his fiance's dress. In the caption of the photo, he wrote, "We pray that God grants us His blessings. Grateful to my dear Jordanian family for their heartfelt support and kind wishes."

As mentioned in his post, the couple had the full support of the Jordanian royal family. Queen Rania even shared photos with the couple on her Instagram and congratulated her son and future daughter-in-law, saying, "I didn't think it was possible to hold so much joy in my heart! Congratulations to my eldest Prince Hussein and his beautiful bride-to-be, Rajwa." It's clear the couple, family, and people of Jordan were thrilled by the engagement, with well-wishers from around the globe rushing to the comments to share their support. 

After Rajwa and Crown Prince Hussein's betrothal was announced, she attended official events at the prince's side and was seen with many royal family members. One of the most notable events she joined Al Hussein for was the royal wedding of his sister Princess Iman, who married Jameel Alexander Thermiotis on March 12, 2023. It was an exciting day for Rajwa to step out with the prince and celebrate the marriage of her future sister-in-law with the rest of the royal family. She looked particularly lovely in an eye-catching yellow Roksanda dress with beautiful red jewelry. 

The couple was also seen at less extravagant events, such as when they showed support for Fragrant of Color together. Fragrant of Color is an initiative aimed at helping the blind and visually impaired create art. Rajwa visited one of the classes with her fiancé, and the pair sat down to paint and speak with the students. The artistic event was a fitting start to Rajwa's official royal outings as someone with a background and love for design. These official excursions helped to solidify Rajwa as a member of the royal family before her marriage to Al Hussein. 

Rajwa had a short engagement, marrying Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and officially becoming Princess Rajwa Al Hussein on June 1, 2023, less than a year after announcing their engagement. Princess Rajwa was a breathtaking bride in a custom-designed dress by Elie Saab. The modest gown was perfectly tailored to her and featured long sleeves, an asymmetrical neckline, and unique ruching details across the bodice. The long train, veil, and sparkling tiara made what might have been an understated look into the perfect royal ensemble. The ceremony was held in the Zahran Palace Gardens, the perfect venue for the fairytalesque wedding. 

The next day, a photo of the couple was shared on the prince's Instagram account. The heartfelt caption reads, in part, "God has blessed me with Rajwa, the light of my life and my lifelong companion. ... Once again, my deepest thanks to everyone who celebrated with us from our beloved Jordan, as well as our family and loved ones from around the world. I could not be more thankful to God for the countless blessings He has granted me today and to Rajwa for everything she is to me." 

The Jordanian royal family and representatives from around the world gathered to celebrate the couple's happy day. Prince William and Kate Middleton were even seen in attendance. Though there was a tense moment when William seemed to lose his patience with Kate at the wedding, overall, it was a beautiful occasion.

Across the globe, royal families are looked to by many as examples. This often means that their style choices are studied and emulated by admirers. It's easy to observe in how influential some of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton's best fashion moments have been. And, in the few years since stepping onto the world stage as Prince Hussein's significant other, Princess Rajwa of Jordan has established herself as another royal style icon.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, attends the launch of the Jordanian exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, held to promote tourism in #Jordan and enhance and tourism exchange between Jordan and #Singapore pic.twitter.com/OvVTpjApWY

— RHC (@RHCJO) January 12, 2024

Rajwa has become proficient in blending the conservative sensibilities of the royal family with chic and modern styles. As an ambassador for Jordan, she attends many events with her husband, and she never fails to look fresh and elegant. One stand-out moment occurred when the princess wore a light pink pantsuit by Gabriela Hearst while on a diplomatic visit to Singapore. The suit perfectly blended masculine and feminine styles with the light pink color contrasting with the oversized cut.

Soon after Princess Rajwa's marriage to Prince Hussein, the couple took another big step by starting a family of their own. Although Rajwa doesn't have a public social media account to give personal updates, The Royal Hashemite Court shared the happy news with the public on April 10, 2024, stating, "Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein are expecting their first baby this summer." 

Any pregnancy announcement is cause for celebration, but this one had particular significance as the first grandchild of King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan. The entire royal family was ecstatic for Rajwa and Hussein. Queen Rania in particular made it clear how happy she was for the couple and how excited she is to be a grandmother. For the crown prince's 30th birthday on June 28, 2024, she made a point of mentioning the pregnancy, sharing an Instagram photo of the couple looking into the distance, with Rajwa's baby bump evident. The queen and grandmother-to-be wrote in the caption, "Happy birthday my dearest Hussein. Can't wait to see you and Rajwa as parents!"

On August 3, 2024, Jordan welcomed its newest royal when Princess Rajwa gave birth to her first child, a healthy baby girl. A video shared by Jordan TV showed Princess Rajwa leaving the hospital with her husband, Prince Hussein, who was seen carrying their newborn in a black car seat. The princess looked exceptionally put together in a long blue and white dress with her hair down in sleek curls. Her elegant exit was similar to Kate Middleton's famous post-birth photos taken on the hospital steps. 

Rajwa's daughter, Princess Iman bint Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, was born into the Jordanian royal family and shares her name with Rajwa's sister-in-law. Hussein shared an Instagram photo of the family greeting the baby for the first time. "Praise be to God for His abundant blessings," the caption read. "We are immensely grateful for the safe birth of our daughter and the health of my beloved wife, Rajwa. Our heartfelt thanks to our family and the Jordanian people for their kind wishes, which deeply touched us during these special moments."