Who is Queen Rania of Jordan? The glamorous and outspoken royal has her roots in conflict-hit Palestine
- Rania Al-Yassin, 53, was born on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait to Palestinian parents
- READ MORE: Queen Rania visits sweet evacuated children
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For the most part, she characterises herself as a 'mum and a wife with a really cool day job' and millions of social media followers to boot.
But Queen Rania's outspoken comments on the bombardment of Gaza and civilian suffering are a reminder of her own background in the region.
Last week she was pictured with Palestinian children undergoing cancer treatment as she visited a medical centre in Amman.
The Jordanian royal, 53, visited the King Hussein Cancer Centre where children from the Gaza strip who are currently battling cancer have been evacuated so they can continue their treatment.
Her visit came durng the recent pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas, which has allowed for Israeli hostages captured on October 7 to be released, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Queen Rania of Jordan, 35, describes herself as a 'mum and a wife with a really cool day job' to her millions of social media followers
She studied at the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a business degree in 1991
She met the Jordanian Prince, Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, at a dinner party hosted by his sister in January 1993
On June 10, 1993, five months after they first met, Rania and Abdullah were married
Rania Al-Yassin, Queen Consort of Jordan, was born on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, her doctor father Faisal Sedki Al-Yassin, and mother Ilham Yassin.
The same year, she moved to Amman, Jordan, to where her parents had moved after fleeing Kuwait along with thousands of other Palestinians following the Gulf War.
The family would eventually settle in a comfortable home in Tulkarm on the West Bank, close to the border with Israel.
Rania was educated first at the New English School in Kuwait City and then at the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a business degree in 1991.
In her early professional career, Rania worked with Citibank, before later taking on a marketing position with Apple.
She met the Jordanian Prince, Abdullah bin Al-Hussein, at a dinner party hosted by Prince Abdullah's sister in January 1993.
They were engaged two months later. Just five months after they first met, they married.
Their lavish ceremony took place at the Zahran Palace in Amman, capital of Jordan. The day was declared a national holiday.
Tradition dictated a royal bride must wear jewels from her own family at her wedding, but born into a modest Palestinian family, Rania did not come from a noble family with an impressive range of jewels at her disposal.
Having been raised alongside her two siblings in the town of Tulkarm on the border of Israel and worked hard for her achievements, her decision made a statement marking that she would not forget her humble beginnings.
Rather than the expected tiara, she wore an embellished headband attached to her wedding veil, which was styled around her intricate up-do.
Following their nuptials, the pair became parents to Crown Prince Hussein, 29, Princess Iman, 27, Princess Salma, 23, and Prince Hashem, 18.
While Abdullah II was the late King Hussein's eldest son, his father changed the line of succession in favour of Abdullah's uncle when he was just three years old.
This meant that Rania had never expected to become Queen.
However, on his deathbed in 1999, King Hussein unexpectedly named his son his successor as King of Jordan, and Rania his Queen Consort.
Rania was brought up in a comfortable home in Tulkarm on the West Bank. Here she is pictured with her three-month-old baby girl, Princess Salma, Prince Hussein, right and Princess Iman, left
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan and their family in a photo released on New Year's Eve
Queen Rania has become admired for her strong voice and charitable work
Queen Rania alongside her daughter-in-law Rajwa al-Saif during a pre-wedding dinner party in Amman on May
The mother-of-four is also known for her sense of style
Rania was educated first at the New English School in Kuwait City and then at the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a business degree in 1991.
Since then, Queen Rania has been admired and renowned for her charitable work.
Having been named one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes magazine in 2011, she has been known to champion projects across key issues, such as women's rights, child protection, the environment and youth empowerment.
