Princess Sarvath al-Hassan
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Princess Sarvath El Hassan (born Sarvath Ikramullah) is Pakistani-Jordanian royal and the wife of Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. She was born in Calcutta, then part of the British Raj on 24 July 1947,[1] to a prominent Muslim family of the Indian subcontinent.[2] FamilyHer father, the Bhopal-born Mohammed Ikramullah, was a senior member of the Indian Civil Service in the Government of British India prior to Partition. He went on to join the Partition Committee of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, later becoming Pakistan's first Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Canada, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom. His last post was as chairman of the Commonwealth Economic Committee. Sarvath's Bengali mother, the Kolkata-born Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, was a writer and one of Pakistan's first two female members of Parliament. Begum Ikramullah also served as Ambassador to Morocco and several times as a delegate to the United Nations. Princess Savrath has three siblings, including the late Bangladeshi barrister Salma Sobhan and the British-Canadian filmmaker Naz Ikramullah.[2][3][4] The Princess' paternal uncle, Mohammad Hidayatullah, was Vice-President of India. Her maternal uncle, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, was the Prime Minister of Bengal and the Prime Minister of Pakistan.[5][6] Her mother's paternal family are direct descendants of the 14th-century Persian Sufi philosopher, Shaikh Shabuddin Suhrawardy.[3] Many of her male and female forebearers, on both sides of her family, were poets, writers and academics.[3] She lived in all the countries that her parents were posted to, but mostly received her education in Britain, and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Cambridge.[3] She first met Prince Hassan in London in 1958, when they were both 11 years old.[7] Marriage and childrenPrincess Sarvath married Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, in Karachi, Pakistan, on 28 August 1968. They live in one of the oldest houses in Amman and have four children:[2][8]
Career and controversyPrincess Sarvath served as Crown Princess of Jordan for over 30 years. She initiated, sponsored and continues to support many projects and activities in Jordan, mainly in the field of education, in addition to issues pertaining to women and the family, social welfare and health. Much of her work focuses on promoting education about various topics (both locally and internationally), assisting disadvantaged women, encouraging community service and helping people with mental and learning disabilities.[2] Princess Sarvath and her husband continue to represent Jordan at international royal events, such as the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. In 2013, she rode in the carriage of Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot.[9] There have been tensions between Princess Sarvath and her sister-in-law, Queen Noor. The tensions between the Queen, who wanted her own son Hamzah to be proclaimed crown prince, and the then Crown Princess Sarvath were exacerbated by the matter of succession during the last days of King Hussein's life.[10][11] According to off-the-record briefings by anonymous palace officials in Amman, a rumour was circulated that Princess Sarvath had drawn up plans for a redecoration of the Jordanian royal apartment before King Hussein had even died of cancer.[12] This allegedly occurred while the King was undergoing chemotherapy in the United States and Prince Hassan was running the country in his place.[13][14] On the contrary, other sources state that the Princess only gave orders for some state apartments to be spruced up in preparation to receive a foreign delegation.[13] Still other accounts imply that only a kitchen was renovated for the visit of Germany's then President, Roman Herzog, who was travelling with his native cook.[15] Some people believe that the Princess' Pakistani roots may have been an obstacle in reference to her husband's accession. Others hold the viewpoint that the succession change had to do with completely different reasons.[16] She received an honorary degree of Doctor of Education from the University of Bath in 2015 to mark her achievements as a longstanding and influential supporter of inspiring young people.[17]
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InterestsPrincess Sarvath speaks several languages, including Arabic, English, French and Urdu. Her hobbies include reading, embroidery, cooking and gardening. She also enjoys various outdoor activities, including skiing. The Princess is Honorary President of the Jordanian Badminton Federation and was the first woman in Jordan to obtain a black belt in Taekwondo.[2] References
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