Editing Abdullah II of Jordan (section)

==Early life==

[[File:King Hussein and Princess Muna with sons 1964 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|alt= A young King Hussein and Princess Muna, holding their two young sons| Prince Abdullah (age 2) and [[Prince Faisal bin Hussein|Prince Faisal]] with their parents, King Hussein and Princess Muna, in 1964]]
Abdullah was born on 30 January 1962 at Palestine Hospital in Al Abdali, Amman, to [[King Hussein]] and Hussein's British-born second wife, [[Princess Muna Al-Hussein]] (born Toni Avril Gardiner).<ref name="RHC">{{cite web|url= http://kingabdullah.jo/en/page/profile|title= His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein|access-date= 1 February 2017|work= kingabdullah.jo|url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170213165709/http://kingabdullah.jo/en/page/profile|archive-date= 13 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Founder|url=https://www.palestine-hospital.com/our-founder|access-date=17 December 2021|website=مستشفى فلسطين – Palestine Hospital|language=en-US|archive-date=16 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216134347/https://www.palestine-hospital.com/our-founder|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is the [[namesake]] of his paternal great-grandfather, [[Abdullah I of Jordan|Abdullah I]], who founded modern Jordan.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/jawad-anani/enacting-laws|title= Enacting laws|author= Jawad Anani|work= The Jordan Times|access-date= 3 January 2018|date= 23 November 2015|url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180104073515/http://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/jawad-anani/enacting-laws|archive-date= 4 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14636308|title= Jordan profile – Leaders|publisher= BBC|access-date= 1 November 2016|date= 3 February 2015|url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160722225201/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14636308|archive-date= 22 July 2016}}</ref> Abdullah's dynasty, the [[Hashemites]], ruled [[Mecca]] for over 700 years—from the 10th century until the [[House of Saud]] [[Saudi conquest of Hejaz|conquered Mecca]] in 1925—and have ruled Jordan since 1921.<ref name="CNNkh">{{cite web|url= http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9902/07/king.hussein.obit/|publisher= CNN|access-date= 1 November 2016|date= 7 February 1999|title= King Hussein is dead|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170101201633/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/meast/9902/07/king.hussein.obit/|archive-date= 1 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=D9pJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA51|page= 51|title= The Politics of Truth Management in Saudi Arabia|author= Afshin Shahi|year=2013|publisher= Routledge|access-date= 3 January 2018|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180206071126/https://books.google.com/books?id=D9pJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA51|archive-date= 6 February 2018|isbn= 9781134653195}}</ref> The Hashemites are the oldest ruling dynasty in the [[Muslim world]].<ref name="tm500">{{cite web|url= http://themuslim500.com/profile/king-abdullah-ii-jordan|title= Profile: King Abdullah II of Jordan|work= themuslim500.com|access-date= 13 February 2017|date= 1 January 2017|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161218105901/http://themuslim500.com/profile/king-abdullah-ii-jordan|archive-date= 18 December 2016}}</ref> According to [[Hashemites#Family tree|family tradition]], Abdullah is the 41st-generation [[agnatic]] descendant of [[Muhammad]]'s daughter [[Fatimah]] and her husband, [[Ali]], the [[Rashidun Caliphate|fourth Rashidun caliph]].<ref name="RHC" />{{sfn|Shlaim|2009|pp= 3–4}}

As Hussein's eldest son, Abdullah became [[heir apparent]] to the Jordanian throne under the [[Constitution of Jordan|1952 constitution]].<ref name="BBC" /><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-40771520090702|title= Jordan's king names son, 15, as crown prince|work= Reuters|date= 3 July 2009|access-date= 3 January 2018|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170817031817/https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-40771520090702|archive-date= 17 August 2017}}</ref> Political instability caused King Hussein to appoint an adult heir in his place, choosing Abdullah's uncle [[Prince Hassan bin Talal|Prince Hassan]] in 1965.<ref name="Jehl">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/26/world/king-hussein-selects-eldest-son-abdullah-as-successor.html|title= King Hussein Selects Eldest Son, Abdullah, as Successor|work= The New York Times|year= 1999|first= Douglas|last= Jehl}}</ref><ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-first= Dale H. |editor-last= Hoiberg |encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Britannica |title= Abdullah II |edition= 15th |year= 2010 |publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |volume= I: A–ak Bayes |location= Chicago |isbn= 978-1-59339-837-8 |page= [https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/23 23] |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/23 }}</ref> Abdullah began his schooling in 1966 at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, and continued at [[St Edmund's School, Hindhead|St Edmund's School]] in England. He attended middle school at [[Eaglebrook School]] and  [[High school (North America)|high school]] at [[Deerfield Academy]] in the United States.<ref name="RHC"/> He was the commencement speaker at [[Deerfield Academy]]'s class of 2000 graduation.<ref>{{Cite book |author=King Abdullah II of Jordan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WV4lokqe5O8C&dq=%22commencement+speaker+at+Deerfield%22+Abdullah&pg=PT163 |title=Our Last Best Chance: A Story of War and Peace |date=2011|publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-101-19013-5 |language=en}}</ref>

Abdullah has four brothers and six sisters: [[Princess Alia bint Hussein|Princess Alia]], [[Prince Faisal bin Hussein|Prince Faisal]], [[Princess Aisha bint Hussein|Princess Aisha]], [[Princess Zein bint Hussein|Princess Zein]], [[Haya bint Hussein|Princess Haya]], [[Prince Ali bin Hussein|Prince Ali]], [[Prince Hamzah bin Hussein|Prince Hamzah]], [[Prince Hashim bin Hussein|Prince Hashem]], [[Princess Iman bint Hussein|Princess Iman]] and [[Princess Raiyah bint Hussein|Princess Raiyah]]; seven of them are paternal half-siblings.<ref name="khisaf">
{{cite web
 |url= http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/biography.html
 |title= King Hussein bin Talal
 |access-date= 1 November 2016
|work= kinghussein.gov.jo|url-status= live
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161021005638/http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/biography.html
 |archive-date= 21 October 2016}}
</ref>