Princess Dina bint Abdul-Hamid Hashem
Who was Princess Dina bint Abdul-Hamid Hashem?
Academic and first wife of King Hussein of Jordan, serving as Queen from 1955-1957 before their divorce.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Princess Dina bint Abdul-Hamid Hashem (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Dina bint Abdul-Hamid Hashem was born on December 15, 1929, in Cairo, Egypt, into the Hashemite royal family. She studied at Cairo University and later at Girton College, University of Cambridge, where she developed a strong interest in English literature. After her studies, she returned to Egypt to teach English literature at Cairo University, showing her dedication to academics and her ties to the Egyptian education system.
In 1955, Dina married King Hussein I of Jordan, becoming Queen of Jordan at 25. Their marriage linked a British-educated Egyptian aristocrat with the young Jordanian king, who had been educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. That year, Dina received the Supreme Order of the Renaissance and the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit from Spain. They had one child, Princess Alia bint Hussein, Hussein's eldest child.
However, Dina and Hussein's marriage was short-lived. They divorced in 1957 after two years, and Dina returned to a more private life. The details of their divorce weren't widely shared, but it placed Dina in a complex social position as a former queen living away from Jordan. She kept her connections to the Arab world and stayed involved in intellectual and political activities in the region.
In 1970, Dina married Salah Tamari, a senior commander in the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Tamari was a significant Palestinian military figure, and their marriage tied Dina to the Palestinian cause during a time of intense conflict and political turmoil in the Middle East. This marked a notable change from her former role as a Hashemite queen, aligning her with a movement often at odds with the Jordanian monarchy she had once been part of.
Dina spent her later years in Amman, Jordan, where she died on August 21, 2019, at the age of 89. Her life took an unusual path through the mid-twentieth century Arab world, from academic lecturer to queen, and later the wife of a Palestinian resistance leader. She remained a person of historical interest as King Hussein's first wife and the mother of his oldest daughter.
Before Fame
Dina bint Abdul-Hamid was born in Cairo in 1929 into a branch of the Hashemite family. She grew up during a time of significant change in the Arab world, as British control in the region was slowly decreasing and nationalist movements were becoming more influential. Her family background provided her both social status and access to educational opportunities that were rare for women of her generation in much of the Middle East.
She studied at Cairo University, then went on to attend Girton College, University of Cambridge, one of the first colleges at Cambridge to admit women. Her focus was on English literature, and after finishing her studies, she returned to Cairo to teach at the university level. Her unique background as a Hashemite princess with a Western academic education made her a suitable match for the young King Hussein of Jordan, who became king in 1952 and was looking for a bride from the broader Arab royal family.
Key Achievements
- Served as Queen of Jordan from 1955 to 1957 as the first wife of King Hussein I
- Completed postgraduate studies at Girton College, University of Cambridge, specialising in English literature
- Worked as a lecturer in English literature at Cairo University
- Awarded the Supreme Order of the Renaissance and the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (Spain) in 1955
- Mother of Princess Alia bint Hussein, King Hussein's eldest child
Did You Know?
- 01.She was one of relatively few Arab women of her era to hold a university lectureship, teaching English literature at Cairo University before becoming a queen.
- 02.Her marriage to King Hussein in 1955 lasted only two years, making her reign as Queen of Jordan one of the shortest in the country's modern history.
- 03.After her divorce from Hussein, she later married Salah Tamari, a PLO commander, placing her in political opposition to the Jordanian royal family she had once been part of.
- 04.She attended Girton College at Cambridge, which was founded in 1869 specifically to provide university-level education for women at a time when they could not formally receive Cambridge degrees.
- 05.Her daughter Princess Alia bint Hussein, born of her marriage to King Hussein, is the namesake of Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Order of the Renaissance | 1955 | — |
| Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (Spain) | 1955 | — |