Editing Abdullah II of Jordan (section)

===Accession and enthronement===
{{Jordanian Royal Family}}
Abdullah joined his father on a number of missions, including meetings abroad with Soviet and American leaders.<ref name="wi" /> He was occasionally King Hussein's [[regent]] during the 1990s but this duty was mainly performed by Hussein's younger brother, Crown Prince Hassan.<ref name="cvoa" /> Abdullah led his father's delegation to Moscow for talks in 1987.<ref name="wi" /> He frequently visited [[the Pentagon]] in Washington, where he lobbied for increased military assistance to Jordan.<ref name="wi" /> The prince joined his father on trips to visit [[Hafez al-Assad]] in Damascus and [[Saddam Hussein]] in Baghdad (before the [[1990 Gulf War]]).<ref name="wi" /> Abdullah commanded military exercises during Israeli military officials' visits to Jordan in 1997, and was sent to hand-deliver a message to [[Muammar Gaddafi]] in 1998.<ref name="wi">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/bio-sketch-jordans-new-crown-prince-abdullah-bin-hussein|title=Jordan's New Crown Prince, Abdullah bin Hussein|publisher=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy|date=25 January 1999|access-date=10 February 2017|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213165443/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/bio-sketch-jordans-new-crown-prince-abdullah-bin-hussein|archive-date=13 February 2017}}</ref>

King Hussein frequently traveled to the US for medical treatment after his diagnosis with cancer in 1992.<ref name="cvoa" /> After Hussein returned from a six-month medical absence from Jordan in late 1998, he criticized his brother Hassan's management of Jordanian affairs in a public letter, accusing him of abusing his constitutional powers as regent.<ref name="cvoa" /> On 24 January 1999, two weeks before his death, Hussein surprised everyone—including Abdullah who thought he would spend his life in the military—by replacing Hassan with his son as heir apparent.<ref name="cvoa">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAd8efHdVzIC&pg=PA25|page=25|title=The Encyclopedia of the Arab–Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History|access-date=1 November 2016|year=2008|first1=Spencer|last1=Tucker|first2=Priscilla|last2=Roberts|publisher=ABC-CLIO|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206071126/https://books.google.com/books?id=YAd8efHdVzIC&pg=PA25|archive-date=6 February 2018|isbn=9781851098422}}</ref>

[[Death and state funeral of Hussein of Jordan|The king died]] of complications of [[non-Hodgkin lymphoma]] on 7 February 1999.<ref name="ad" /> His 47-year reign extended through four turbulent decades of the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] and the [[Cold War]].<ref name="ad"/> Several hours after the announcement of his father's death, Abdullah appeared at an emergency session of the [[Jordanian parliament]].<ref name="ad" /> Hussein's two brothers, Hassan and [[Prince Muhammad bin Talal|Mohammed]], walked ahead of him as he entered the assembly.<ref name="ad" /> In Arabic, he swore the oath taken by his father almost fifty years earlier: "I swear by Almighty God to uphold the constitution and to be faithful to the nation".<ref name="ad" /> Speaker of the Senate [[Zaid Al-Rifai]] opened the session with [[Al-Fatiha]] (the opening chapter of the [[Quran]]), his voice cracking with emotion as he led the recitation. "God, save His Majesty... God, give him advice and take care of him."<ref name="ad">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-feb-08-mn-6119-story.html|title=Jordan Mourns King as Leaders Gather at Funeral|first1=Tracy|last1=Wilkinson|first2=Rebecca|last2=Trounson|date=8 February 1999|access-date=1 November 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306031705/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/08/news/mn-6119|archive-date=6 March 2016}}</ref> Abdullah's investiture took place on 9 June 1999.<ref name="jcnkbbc" /> A reception at [[Raghadan Palace]] attended by 800 dignitaries followed a motorcade ride through Amman by the 37-year-old king and his 29-year-old wife, Rania—the then youngest queen in the world.<ref name="jcnkbbc">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/364466.stm|title=Jordan crowns new King|access-date=22 February 2017|date=9 June 1999|work=BBC News|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222121930/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/364466.stm|archive-date=22 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/07/14/o.women.changing.world/index.html|title=What Queen Rania wants for the world|date=14 July 2008|access-date=3 January 2018|publisher=CNN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119003652/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/07/14/o.women.changing.world/index.html|archive-date=19 January 2013}}</ref>