King Talal bin Abdullah
His Majesty King Talal bin Abdullah, may his soul rest in peace, was born on 8 January 1909 in Mecca. He received his early education in Amman; and was appointed to escort his father, the country’s emir, with the honorary rank of lieutenant. He joined the Royal Military College Sandhurst in Britain, graduating with a rank of lieutenant. He then went on to serve his grandfather, Sharif Hussein bin Ali, during his exile in Cyprus until he returned to Amman. He was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 6 September 1951.
"His Majesty King Talal (may he rest in peace) enacted the Jordanian Constitution for the year 1952, which embodied the envisioned political development based on the public’s participation in decision making"
His Majesty King Talal bin Abdullah continued to build Jordan and rule with foresight, in line with the country’s foundations of moderation, justice, equality, freedom and human rights.
During King Talal’s reign, which lasted less than a year, the Jordanian Constitution of 1952 was completed. It embodied the spirit of political development, based on the importance of the public’s participation in decision-making, thus laying the foundations for national unity and Arabism. His Majesty King Talal’s reign was also marked by endorsing the right of free education and the issuance of major legislation. He also bolstered ties with Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt; and during his reign, the first Treaty of Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation between the States of the Arab League was signed.
Illness prevented King Talal from continuing to rule. As a result, a constitutional decision was taken to form the Regency Council on 11 August 1952, until his son, King Hussein, came of age. On this same day, Al Hussein was proclaimed King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
