As Queen Rania of Jordan turns 56, she has plenty to celebrate, not least a rapidly expanding royal family.
Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court has released a new portrait of Queen Rania to mark her birthday on Monday.
It shows her in a relaxed setting, seated on brick steps surrounded by greenery. She wears a white short-sleeved top with wide-leg blue jeans, accessorised with an Apple Watch and star-shaped drop earrings, while her hair is swept into a loose updo, with strands framing her face.
The Queen and King Abdullah II have four children, but in the space of just two years they have also become grandparents four times over.
It is a role Queen Rania has embraced publicly. In July, while announcing her eldest daughter Princess Iman's second pregnancy, she declared: “The grandchildren club is growing.”
Princess Iman and her husband, Jameel Alexander Thermiotis, welcomed twin daughters Talia and Rania on August 14, with one of the girls sharing her grandmother's name.
They joined the couple's first daughter, Amina, who was born in February 2025, and Princess Iman bint Al Hussein, the daughter of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa, who became King Abdullah and Queen Rania's first grandchild in August 2024.
Queen Rania was born Rania Al Yassin on August 31, 1970. She married then Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein on June 10, 1993, after the pair met at a dinner party earlier that year. She was working in the technology sector at the time, having previously worked in banking after graduating from the American University in Cairo with a degree in business administration.
Prince Abdullah became King Abdullah II of Jordan on February 7, 1999, following the death of his father, King Hussein. Queen Rania was proclaimed the following month.
In June, Queen Rania marked her 33rd wedding anniversary with a tribute to her husband on social media. “Thankful for every twist and turn that led me to you. Happy anniversary, Your Majesty,” she wrote.
The couple have four children: Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
Here is a look at Queen Rania's growing family as she celebrates her birthday.
Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa
Crown Prince Hussein, born on June 28, 1994, is the eldest of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania's four children and heir to the Jordanian throne.
He was named Crown Prince in 2009 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role representing Jordan at home and internationally, including accompanying his father on official visits and addressing the United Nations.
He married Saudi-born Rajwa Al Saif on June 1, 2023, in one of Jordan's biggest royal celebrations in years.
The ceremony at Zahran Palace in Amman was attended by royals from around the world, including Britain's Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as other international dignitaries. A royal decree issued on the day of the wedding gave Rajwa the title of Princess Rajwa Al Hussein.
Born in Riyadh, Princess Rajwa studied architecture at Syracuse University in New York and later attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.
Just over a year after their wedding, the couple welcomed their first child. Princess Iman bint Al Hussein was born on August 3, 2024, making King Abdullah and Queen Rania grandparents for the first time.
Queen Rania has since frequently shared photographs of her eldest granddaughter, including family moments with the Crown Prince and Princess Rajwa.
Marking Crown Prince Hussein's 32nd birthday in June, she shared another glimpse of the young family, writing: “Happy birthday, Hussein! May your family bring you as much joy as you bring us each day.”
Princess Iman and Jameel Alexander Thermiotis
Princess Iman, born on September 27, 1996, is King Abdullah and Queen Rania's eldest daughter and second child.
She married Jameel Alexander Thermiotis at Beit Al Urdun Palace in Amman on March 12, 2023, a few months before her elder brother's wedding.
Thermiotis was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1994 and is of Greek descent. He studied business administration and has worked in finance in New York.
For their wedding, Princess Iman wore a custom Dior gown with a lace neckline and cuffs, paired with a long veil and diamond tiara. Crown Prince Hussein walked his sister down the aisle before she and Thermiotis exchanged vows in front of members of the royal family and guests.
The couple welcomed their first child, Amina, on February 16, 2025.
Queen Rania announced the arrival by sharing a series of family photographs, including images of herself and King Abdullah holding their new granddaughter.
The family expanded again this month when Princess Iman gave birth to twin girls. The Royal Hashemite Court announced the arrival of Talia and Rania on August 14, extending its congratulations to the couple as well as King Abdullah and Queen Rania. Days later, Queen Rania shared the first photographs of the babies.
“Healthy, happy and finally here. We’ve been waiting so long to meet you, Talia and Rania,” she wrote.
One of the twins shares a name with her grandmother.
Princess Salma
Princess Salma, born on September 26, 2000, is the third child and second daughter of King Abdullah and Queen Rania.
Like her siblings, she has taken part in royal engagements while also pursuing her education and military training. In 2020, she became the first Jordanian woman to complete preliminary pilot training with the Jordanian Armed Forces.
In 2023, she took part in the fifth airdrop of critical medical supplies to a medical centre in Gaza, Jordan.
King Abdullah presented his daughter with her aviation wings at a ceremony at Al Husseiniya Palace, which was also attended by Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein.
Princess Salma has continued to appear alongside her family at major national events. In May, she joined her parents, Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Rajwa and Prince Hashem for celebrations marking Jordan's 80th Independence Day.
Prince Hashem
Prince Hashem, the youngest of King Abdullah and Queen Rania's children, was born on January 30, 2005. His birthday has an added family connection: he shares the same birthday as his father, King Abdullah, who was born on January 30, 1962.
Now 21, the prince has increasingly joined his parents and siblings at official and national occasions as he has grown older.
He has also undergone military training and regularly appears alongside members of the royal family at events including Jordan's Independence Day celebrations.
