Page 364 - They Also Served

and abuse of constitutional powers as Regent. Then, on 24th January 1999, two weeks before his death, The king announced that Abdullah would be his heir and he was duly crowned as King Abdullah II.
Although many doubted the young king’s ability, as a career soldier, to run the country, he employed the same methods as in the army by carrying out surprise inspections of government departments, commenting: ‘The bureaucrats are terrified – it’s great’. Abdullah followed his father’s policy of support to the West and the peace treaty with Israel. He
faced threats from Al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and ISIL extremists but maintained control of his country, as his father before, in one of the most volatile regions in the world. At home, he authorised the admission of women to parliament and, in 2004, removed his half-brother as heir. During the so-called Arab Spring of 2010–14, he weathered protests, which were centred more on politicians than the monarchy, with further constitutional reforms.
The king retains a close affiliation with the British Army, as colonel in chief of the Light Dragoons, successor to the 13th/18th Hussars. In 2009, King Abdullah installed his eldest son Hussein as crown prince and, in 2017, together with Queen Rania, was the Sovereign’s Representative at his commissioning parade, marking three generations of the Jordanian royal family’s connection with Sandhurst. During his address in faultless English, widely considered one of the best in modern times, the ‘Soldier King’ joked about his time as a cadet and reminded all present that their success was down to the support of their family and friends.
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