FILE – Jordan’s Crown Prince Hamzah smiles during a royal lunch hosted for tribesmen at the Royal Palace compound in Amman, Jordan in this May 26, 2004, file photo. The royal court in Jordan said Tuesday, March 8, 2022, that the half-brother of King Abdullah II has apologized for his role in a rare palace feud last year and is seeking the king’s forgiveness. Prince Hamzah was accused of involvement in a plot to destabilize the Western-allied kingdom and was placed under house arrest last April. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The half-brother of Jordan’s king relinquished his princely title on Sunday, a year after a rare palace feud saw him placed under house arrest.
Prince Hamzah posted the letter on his official Twitter account, saying he gave up his title because his values “are not in line with the approaches, trends and modern methods of our institutions.”
King Abdullah II and Hamzah are both sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for nearly a half-century before his death in 1999. Abdullah had appointed Hamzah as crown prince upon his succession but stripped him of the title in 2004.
The prince apologized last month for his role in the alleged plot, the Royal Palace said. He was accused last year of involvement in a plot to destabilize the Western-allied kingdom and was placed under house arrest last April. In a video statement at the time he denied the allegations, saying he was being punished for speaking out against official corruption.
The Royal Court had no immediate comment.
Last year’s feud between Abdullah and his half-brother was a rare case of infighting within the Hashemite royal family going public. At one point Jordan imposed a gag order on reporting about the events, reflecting the sensitivity of issues surrounding the royal family.
Particulars about the alleged plot have never been made public.
Jordan is a close Western ally and has long been seen as an island of stability in a turbulent region.
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