Prince Hamzah posted the announcement on his official Twitter account. He wrote that he was led to the decision because his beliefs could not be reconciled with the “current approaches, policies and methods of our institutions”. He did not directly criticize King Abdullah II and the ruling elites, as he had done in the past, but his tone indicated that the rift had not been rectified, as suggested by the Royal Court in the past. The Royal Court had no immediate comment. Abdullah and Hamza are the sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for almost half a century before his death in 1999. Abdullah had appointed Hamza as his successor, but stripped him of the title in 2004. The monarch had placed Hamzah under house arrest last April for his alleged conspiracy to destabilize the alliance with the West. In a video statement at the time, Hamzah denied the allegations, saying he was being punished for speaking out against official corruption. Last month, Hamzah apologized to his brother, according to a letter released by the Royal Court at the time. Hamzah went on to express the hope that “we can turn a page in this chapter in the history of our country and our family.” Analyst Amer Sabaileh said he expected Hamzah’s announcement to rekindle the royal rift that many in Jordan believed had been resolved with the prince’s apology. Sabail noted that Hamza had taken the decision unilaterally and announced it on his personal Twitter account, instead of consulting with the royal family. “He’s trying to re-engage with the old narrative,” Sabaileh said of Hamzah. “We return to the point where he says he is not satisfied, that he is still bitter and there is no reconciliation.” It was not immediately clear whether Hamzah’s decision to relinquish his title would help restore his freedom of movement. Hamzah has only appeared in public once after the controversy. In February, the court announced the birth of Hamzah’s son. The controversy was a rare case of civil war within the Hashemite royal family that came to light. At one point, Jordan imposed a silencing order to report the events, reflecting the sensitivity of the issues surrounding the royal family. Abdullah had accused his brother of rebellion, but said the dispute was being resolved within the family and that Hamza remained in his own palace under the king’s protection. Two former senior officials involved in the alleged conspiracy have been convicted of sedition and sentenced to 15 years in prison by a state security court. Details of the alleged plot have never been made public. Jordan is a close western ally and has long been considered an island of stability in a troubled region.
