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Royal tribute to 'king among kings'

Members of the British and Jordanian royal families have paid tribute to King Hussein of Jordan at a memorial service in London.

The king lost a long fight against cancer in February, aged 63. He ruled Jordan for 46 years, becoming one of the world's most respected leaders.

King Hussein's widow, Queen Noor, his son, now King Abdullah, and about 20 other members of the Jordanian royal family led a congregation of more than 2,000 at the service at St Paul's Cathedral.

Members of the British royal family in attendance included the Duke and Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles said King Hussein had been "a man amongst men, a king amongst kings", whose "humanity was legendary".

He said King Hussein had turned his country into "an oasis of moderation, order and harmony in a harsh desert of extremism".

"King Hussein had the kind of enlightened spirit in harmony with those... who could respect people of other faiths for their piety, even if they did not recognise their theology," he said.

"It was surely the king's magnanimity and far-sightedness that enabled him to survive and triumph over the enormous challenges to his country and to himself."

The Prince of Wales had attended King Hussein's funeral service in Jordan with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mr Blair was also present at the memorial service, accompanied by other UK political leaders, including Leader of the Opposition William Hague, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, and former Prime Ministers John Major, Baroness Thatcher and Edward Heath.

Other dignitaries included the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Mayor of London, and the Jordanian Ambassador Fou'ad Ayoub.

The Dean of St Paul's, the Very Rev John Moses, said those at the cathedral had come to remember the king with great gratitude.

"We come as representatives of many nations and peoples to recall his tireless search for peace and for stability, his passion for the well-being of his people, his quiet authority in international negotiations, and especially for us in the United Kingdom his close links with this nation over many years."

The service was drawn from Christian and Moslem traditions.

The Dean's address was followed by a reading from the Koran by King Abdullah. The passage was then read out in English by another of King Hussein's sons, Crown Prince Hamzah.

Choristers sang from the book of Psalms and the Duke of Kent gave a reading from the New Testament gospel of St Matthew.

The service was organised by the Foreign Office and the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's, on behalf of the Anglo-Jordanian Association.

King Hussein had strong links with the UK, and spent five months at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1952-53.

Prince Hamzah is currently training there and cadets from the Berkshire base formed a guard of honour at the service.

Representatives from the RAF, of which the king was an Honorary Air Chief Marshal, were also present.

The Chairman of the Anglo-Jordanian Society, Sir Alan Urwick, said the group had organised the event in response to the wishes of people in the UK.

"The king had many strong links with the UK - it was almost his second home - and many people here wanted some way to pay tribute to his memory.

"He was an astonishing man and he treated everybody equally."

Relevant Stories

King Hussein memorial service in pictures (05 Jul 99 | UK)
King Hussein: Your tributes (09 Feb 99 | World)
King Hussein's funeral in pictures (08 Feb 99 | Middle East)
Abdullah sworn in (07 Feb 99 | Middle East)
The untested new king (07 Feb 99 | Middle East)
King Hussein: A life in pictures (05 Feb 99 | Middle East)
World mourns a popular leader (07 Feb 99 | Middle East)
Jordan: The challenges ahead (05 Feb 99 | Middle East)

Internet Links

Jordan National Information Centre
Foreign Office
Anglo-Jordanian Society
The office of King Hussein

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

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