Prince of Jordan renounces royal title

Former Crown Prince of Jordan, Hamzah bin Hussein, took to Twitter on Sunday to publicly announce his renunciation of his royal title.

Prince Hamzah, who was named Crown Prince following the death of King Hussein in 1999, lost his title when his elder brother King Abdullah instilled his son as heir.

Last April he was accused of plotting against his brother King Abdullah and of attempting to destabilise the monarchy. After swearing allegiance to the King, he was spared punishment and sentenced to house arrest.

On Sunday 3 April, Hamza, took to Twitter to  publish an announcement that read: 

“After what I have witnessed over the past years, I have come to the conclusion that my personal convictions and the values that my father instilled in me are not in line with the approaches, trends or modern methods of our institutions. I had the great honour of serving my beloved country and dear people in this capacity throughout the years of my life. I will remain as long as I live faithful to our beloved Jordan.”

The tweet was released on the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, which some believe to be an attempt to appeal to conservative Jordanians who support Hamzah.

The accusations that faced Prince Hamzah last April, saw Western powers show their support for King Abdullah, causing many Jordanians to rally behind the King in support of new western allies.