Queen Rania and Queen Elizabeth Meet in Exclusive Queen Summit
The life of a royal is a constant back-and-forth between interacting with one’s subjects in casual daywear at their very regular workplaces, and then meeting with one’s fellow dignitaries in fancier clothes and more formal settings. In her 20 years as queen, Rania of Jordan has perfectly mastered this balance: While she’s no stranger to a good athleisure moment, she’s also every bit the elegant royal, as she demonstrated while meeting up with Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace this week.
After beginning their London visit at the Jordan Growth and Opportunity Conference on Thursday morning, the Jordanian royal family stopped by the palace for a private audience with the queen and crown princess. Rania was joined by her husband, King Abdullah II, and eldest son, Crown Prince Hussein, for the quick hangout, during which all of the royals (minus Princess Anne) greeted each other with demure handshakes. Anne, for her part, opted to sink into a few of her signature very deep curtsies—last seen while greeting Spain’s Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI in 2017—crouching almost to the floor while shaking hands with Rania and Abdullah.
Rania, Elizabeth, and Anne all looked every bit the royal style stars we know them to be. The Jordanian queen sported a boatneck, tea-length gown in a deep fuchsia shade, which she paired with a trendy mini handbag and low-heeled lilac pumps. Princess Anne perfectly complemented her visitor in an emerald skirt suit, accessorized with an elaborate gold brooch on her lapel and simple black heels. In something of a departure from her usual neon-toned ensembles, Queen Elizabeth opted for a crisp ivory long-sleeved dress, a golden brooch of her own, and black shoes similar to her daughter’s.
The two royal families go way back; in fact, the Jordanian royals are actually part-British, since King Abdullah’s mother, Princess Muna al-Hussein, was born Antoinette Avril Gardiner in Suffolk, England. Rania first met Elizabeth in 1999, just a few months after she and Abdullah had officially assumed his parents’ roles in the monarchy, and they’ve reunited several times throughout the years, at various conferences, state dinners, and other events. The younger generations of their families, too, have recently begun building a relationship: In the summer of 2018, Crown Prince Hussein hosted Prince William in Jordan, where they watched the World Cup together, as seen on Hussein’s wildly popular, smolder-heavy Instagram account.
Related: Queen Rania of Jordan Receives New Title of Most Athleisure Royal
