Queen Noor of Jordan facts for kids
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| Queen consort of Jordan | |||||
| Tenure | June 15, 1978 – February 7, 1999 | ||||
| Born | Lisa Najeeb Halaby August 23, 1951 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Father | Najeeb Halaby | ||||
| Mother | Doris Carlquist | ||||
Noor Al Hussein (Arabic: نور الحسين), born Lisa Najeeb Halaby on August 23, 1951, is an American-born Jordanian queen. She is known for her work as a philanthropist (someone who helps others) and an activist (someone who works for change). She was the fourth wife of King Hussein of Jordan. She served as the Queen of Jordan from their marriage on June 15, 1978, until King Hussein's death on February 7, 1999.
Queen Noor is a long-time member of the Board of Commissioners for the International Commission on Missing Persons. She is also the president of the United World Colleges movement. She actively supports the Global Zero campaign, which aims to get rid of nuclear weapons. In 2015, Princeton University honored Queen Noor with the Woodrow Wilson Award for her public service.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Queen Noor was born Lisa Najeeb Halaby in Washington, D.C., USA. She is the oldest child of Najeeb Halaby and Doris Carlquist. Her father's family came from Syria, and her mother's family was Swedish American.
Her father, Najeeb Halaby, had an interesting career. He was a Navy test pilot and later worked in government. He helped the United States Secretary of Defense and was chosen by President John F. Kennedy to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is in charge of air travel safety in the U.S. He also worked as the CEO of Pan American World Airways, a big airline, from 1969 to 1972. Lisa had two younger siblings, a brother named Christian and a sister named Alexa.
Her paternal grandfather, Najeeb Elias Halaby, was a Syrian-Lebanese businessman. He was a petroleum broker and also ran a rug and interior-decorating shop. Her great-grandfather, Elias Halaby, was one of the first Syrian-Lebanese immigrants to the United States, arriving around 1891.
Education
Lisa Halaby went to schools in New York and California. She attended National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., and the Chapin School in New York City. She then graduated from Concord Academy.
She later went to Princeton University, which had just started accepting women. She was part of the first class of women to attend Princeton. In 1974, she earned a degree in architecture and urban planning. She was also a member of Princeton's first women's ice hockey team.
Career Before Becoming Queen
After graduating from Princeton, Lisa Halaby moved to Australia. She worked for a company that planned new towns. She became very interested in the Middle East because of her Syrian family roots.
In 1975, she took a job with a British company, Llewelyn Davies, which was designing a new city center in Tehran, Iran. When political problems in Iran made the company move, she traveled around the Arab world. She then took a temporary job in Amman, Jordan, researching aviation facilities. Eventually, she joined Alia Airlines as the Director of Facilities Planning and Design.
It was during this time that she became friends with King Hussein. The King was still sad after the death of his third wife, Queen Alia. Their friendship grew, and they became engaged in 1978.
Marriage and Children
Lisa Halaby married King Hussein on June 15, 1978, in Amman, Jordan. She became the Queen of Jordan. Before her marriage, she became a Muslim and changed her name from Lisa Halaby to Noor Al Hussein, which means "Light of Hussein." Their wedding was a traditional Muslim ceremony.
Queen Noor took on the role of managing the royal household. She also became a stepmother to King Hussein's three children from his previous marriage: Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, and Abir Muhaisen.
Queen Noor and King Hussein had four children together:
- Prince Hamzah (born March 29, 1980)
- Prince Hashim (born June 10, 1981)
- Princess Iman (born April 24, 1983)
- Princess Raiyah (born February 9, 1986)
Queen Noor's Work and Causes
Helping Jordan
In 1979, Queen Noor started the King Hussein Foundation (KHF). This foundation works on many projects to help people in Jordan. It includes the Noor Al Hussein Foundation and several specialized groups. These groups focus on things like education, music, arts, family health, and helping communities grow. They also provide small loans to people to start businesses. Queen Noor is also the Honorary Chairperson of JOrchestra, a musical group. In 1980, she launched the International Arab Youth Congress, an event for young people.
Global Efforts
Queen Noor also works on important issues around the world. She is very passionate about environmental protection, especially the health of our oceans and water. She has spoken at major conferences about how climate change affects the oceans and human safety.
She is a Patron of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. She is also a Founding and Emeritus President of BirdLife International, which works to protect birds. She is a Trustee Emeritus of Conservation International and an Ocean Elder, a group of global leaders working to protect the oceans. She also leads the international board for the UWC movement, which promotes peace and understanding through education.
Queen Noor can speak Arabic, English, and French.
Life After King Hussein
King Hussein passed away on February 7, 1999, after battling cancer. After his death, his oldest son, Abdullah II, became the new King of Jordan. Prince Hamzah, Queen Noor's son, was named Crown Prince (the next in line to the throne) in 1999. However, in 2004, Prince Hamzah's status as Crown Prince was changed. On July 2, 2009, King Abdullah named his own eldest son as the new heir to the throne.
Queen Noor spends her time in Jordan, the United States (Washington, D.C.), and the United Kingdom. She continues to work with many international organizations. She enjoys various activities like skiing, water skiing, tennis, sailing, horseback riding, reading, gardening, and photography.
Awards and Honors
Queen Noor has received many awards and honors from Jordan and other countries for her dedication and work. These include:
- From Jordan: The Order of al-Hussein bin Ali, the Order of Military Glory, the Supreme Order of the Renaissance, and the Order of the Star of Jordan.
- From other countries: The Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, the Family Order of Laila Utama (Brunei), the Order of the Elephant (Denmark), the Order of the Virtues (Egypt), the Legion of Honour (France), the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy), the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg), the Order of Charles III (Spain), the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain), the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden), and the Order of Saint John (United Kingdom).
In 2001, she received the Blessed are the Peacemakers Award from the Catholic Theological Union.
Books by Queen Noor
Queen Noor wrote a book called A Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life. This book became a #1 best-seller and has been published in 17 different languages.
See also
In Spanish: Noor de Jordania para niños
- Hashemites
