Jordan’s Prince Hamzah Is Giving Up Royal Title in Protest of Kingdom’s Policies

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah, the half-brother of King Abdullah, who in April 2021 was placed under house arrest following the discovery of an alleged coup attempt against the king, announced Sunday that he would give up his royal title to protest the current policies of the kingdom. He tweeted that “my personal conviction and principles my father instilled in me are not in line with the path, directives and modern methods of our institutions” and said he would continue to serve Jordan in his private life. A son of the late King Hussein, Hamzah was removed as crown prince in 2004 in a bid by Abdullah to consolidate his power. Hamzah last month issued a letter of apology in which he “sought His Majesty’s forgiveness, apologizing to the king and the Jordanian people for his actions, which he vowed will not recur,” the palace said in a statement at the time. He has been seen in public only once since the discovery of the plot. After the alleged coup attempt was exposed, Hamzah was confined to his home and the king announced that the issue was being dealt with by the family and said that his half-brother was under his care. Hamzah later signed a letter pledging loyalty to the king. His two co-conspirators were convicted of the plot in a Jordanian state security court and each sentenced to 15 years in prison.