The Prince and Princess of Wales lead guests at Jordan royal wedding - best photos

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the royal wedding of the year, as Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend and architect, Rajwa Al Saif.

They joined a number of royals at the Jordan royal wedding, including Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary and Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

The couple were also joined at the wedding by William's cousin, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, as well as Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her younger sister, Pippa, and her husband, James Matthews.

It comes after William and Kate were spotted arriving in Jordan on Wednesday evening.

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King Abdullah II and Queen Rania greeted guests as they arrived at the palace, with the queen wowing in a black gown with gold detailing by Dior.

The king and queen had a long conversation with the Prince and Princess of Wales as they arrived. See their sweet interaction in the clip below...

William wore a navy suit with a blue patterned tie, while Kate looked beautiful in a blush pink gown by Elie Saab and styled her brunette locks in loose curls for the occasion.

Mum-of-one Beatrice looked gorgeous in an embellished dress from Needle & Thread.

The Princess of Wales's mother Carole was spotted in the crowd at the reception, wearing a blue lace gown, with her daughter Pippa matching her in a similar dress.

A first look at royal bride Rajwa, as she is accompanied by Hussein's younger brother, Prince Hashem.

Rajwa looked beautiful in a fitted white column gown by Elie Saab, with an asymmetric wrap neckline, ruched bodice and, most impressively, a long embroidered train attached to the waist.

Upon their marriage, a Royal Decree was issued to bestow the title of Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein on the bride.

William and Kate were seen congratulating Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa after the ceremony.

Belgium's King Philippe and his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, were among the guests, along with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden.

Queen Maxima looked stunning in a blue printed Luisa Beccaria gown, with fluted sleeves, while Crown Princess Victoria opted for a floral dress from By Malina.

Crown Princess Mary opted for a floral number by Erdem.

Other royals at the ceremony included Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and former King Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife, Queen Sofia.

Here's everything you need to know about the Jordan royal wedding, and the special friendship between the British and Jordanian royal families.

Jordan royal wedding - as it happened

Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif were married in an Islamic marriage ceremony known as "katb ktab" in the gardens at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan. Around 140 guests were in attendance at the nuptials, including members of the Royal Hashemite family, foreign royals and heads of state.

The newlyweds travellled from Zahran Palace to Al Husseiniya Palace in a procession known as the Red Motorcade. The Motorcade consisted of eight bright red armed Land Rover vehicles and 11 motorcycles.

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A wedding reception took at Al Husseiniya Palace with over 1,700 guests in attendance, and performances by local and regional singers, as well as a choir, Jordanian bands, the national orchestra and folk dance troupes. The reception concluded with the traditional cutting of the wedding cake.

After the main reception, a wedding banquet took place at Al Husseiniya Palace, which was attended by members of the Royal Hashemite Family, foreign and Arab heads of states, and high-ranking officials.

The friendship between the British and Jordanian royal families

Jordan holds personal memories for Kate, who lived in the countryfor nearly three years as a child when her father, Michael Middleton, relocated to the capital of Amman in his role as a British Airways manager.

Williamopened up about his wife's childhood in Jordan as Crown Prince Hussein hosted him during a tour of the Middle East in 2018. The then Duchess of Cambridge had just given birth to the couple's youngest child, Prince Louis, and couldn't join her husband on the trip.

Chatting to the chief executive of Save the Children, Rania Malki, William said: "She loved it here, she really did. She is very upset that I am coming here without her."

But Kate got the chance to show her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, around the beloved country she once called home, during a family holiday to the ancient city of Petra in 2021.

The Princess of Wales also has shared interests with Queen Rania – both are mothers with a passion for children's welfare.

In a TV interview with CNN to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022, mother-of-four Rania praised future Queen Consort Kate.

"Princess Catherine, when she talks about her work, her face lights up," Rania said. "She does it out of a sense of duty but more importantly, she does it because she absolutely cares."

She added: "When she talks about her work, she'd say: 'I'm just lucky to be doing this, I have the privilege of doing that'. So, she gives from her heart. And again, there is a sense of sincerity and a sense of love in everything that she does."

As future Kings, Prince William and Crown Prince Hussein appeared to hit it off during William's 2018 trip to Jordan, with the pair pictured watching the World Cup together, in a candid snap posted on Hussein's Instagram account.

Links between Britain and Jordan go way back – King Abdullah's mother is British-born Princess Muna al-Hussein, who was born in Suffolk and changed her name from Antoinette Avril Gardiner upon her marriage to Abdullah's father, King Hussein.

Abdullah studied at Pembroke College at the University of Oxford, and began his military career at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. 

It's something he has in common with Princes William and Harry, who graduated from the military school. Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman and Princess Salma are also Sandhurst alumni.

The King and Queen of Jordan enjoyed several audiences with the late Queen Elizabeth II, with Abdullah referring to the monarch in a BBC interview as a "beacon of light and hope" and a "life-long family friend" as Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee last June.

Abdullah and Rania were also among the foreign royals to pay their respects to the late Queen at her state funeral.

The King and Queen also attended King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation at Westminster Abbey earlier last month.

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