Meghan Markle held hands with a 14-year-old burns victim from Gaza today as she began a busy quasi royal-tour of Jordan with Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke with the girl called Maria during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman where the couple also talked to doctors.
Harry and Meghan embarked on a two-day visit to Jordan – one of Prince William and Kate’s favourite countries – as they also met young Syrian refugees.
The Duke and Duchess watched a music class at the QuestScope youth centre at Za’atari refugee camp near Mafraq, and took part in a football session.
They also attended a roundtable discussion in Amman with people from the United Nations and many of its agencies, diplomatic representatives and donors.
The couple, who stepped down as working royals in 2020 for personal and financial freedom, travelled to Jordan at the invitation of World Health Organisation (WHO).
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warmly welcomed the couple on the steps of the organisation’s office in Amman. He kissed and hugged Meghan who wore a white jacket and matching trousers and also embraced Harry.
Their trip – which Buckingham Palace officials are understood to have been informed of in advance – comes just a fortnight after William’s diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Duchess of Sussex meets Maria, a 14-year-old burns victim from Gaza, in Amman today
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The Duchess of Sussex meets Maria, a 14-year-old burns victim from Gaza, in Amman today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex talk with medical staff at the Specialty Hospital in Amman
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex talk with medical staff at the Specialty Hospital in Amman
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex talk with medical staff at the Specialty Hospital in Amman
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex talk with medical staff at the Specialty Hospital in Amman
Five-year-old Ayham during a visit by Prince Harry and Meghan to Amman’s Specialty Hospital
Five-year-old Ayham during a visit by Prince Harry and Meghan to Amman’s Specialty Hospital
Meghan looked emotional as she met a young man with shattered legs who was evacuated from Gaza to receive urgent care in Jordan.
She told Jaber, 17, whose legs were held in place by a metal frame: ‘I’m so glad you’re getting the treatment that you need’, as he was assessed at the private Specialty Hospital in Amman.
Dr Hamzeh Odeh, the emergency department manager at Specialty Hospital, said after the visit: ‘This is what you expect from war, they’re war injuries.
‘But some of the injuries are not directly related to the war, it’s because of the lack of doctors, lack of medication.’
Harry’s estranged brother and sister-in-law Kate already have close ties with Jordan, and were surprise guests at the royal wedding of its Crown Prince in 2023.
The Waleses watched Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II marry his Saudi Arabian bride Rajwa Alseif at an Islamic marriage ceremony known as a ‘katb ktab’.
Kate’s family lived in Amman for a period in the mid-1980s when she was young girl and the couple enjoyed a 2021 holiday in the Middle East country with their children.
William also welcomed Crown Prince Hussein to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire for a tour last October to meet his former flight squadron during the Jordanian heir’s UK trip.
In addition, Crown Prince Hussein’s mother Queen Rania is a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, the judging panel for William’s environmental prize.
William visited Jordan in 2018 and was joined on a number of official visits by Crown Prince Hussein, with the two men memorably watching a football match together.
In Jordan today, Meghan was left with bragging rights when she scored a penalty and her husband’s shot was saved when they joined Syrian children at a refugee camp.
The Duchess looked triumphant and threw her hands in the air after her right-footed strike beat a girl in goal when the couple visited the camp, which is home to tens of thousands of displaced Syrians.
The couple are on a two-day visit to learn more about humanitarian efforts by the Jordanian authorities and a range of agencies supporting the health and wellbeing of Syrians and Palestinians who have sought sanctuary in Jordan over the decades.
They travelled north of the capital, Amman, to the sprawling Za’atari Refugee Camp, where families live in semi-permanent homes with a few shops available.
The Duke of Sussex meets medical evacuees during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman
The Duke of Sussex meets medical evacuees during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to the Specialty Hospital in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of people watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duke of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of people watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex listen to a music class during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center at the Za’atari refugee camp, home to displaced Syrians, near Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex listen to a music class during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center at the Za’atari refugee camp, home to displaced Syrians, near Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duke of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of people watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duke of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of people watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex kicks a ball as a group of women watch during the tour of Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets a young girl during the couple’s tour of Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex listens during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex listens during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
Harry and Meghan toured a youth centre run by the social development organisation Questscope, which provides a number of activities from art and photography classes to music and sport, to engage the youngsters and help alleviate any mental health issues.
When they joined a group of young girls in an outdoor football class, a little girl came up to the duchess, who crouched down to speak to her through an interpreter asking her age and was told she was seven-years-old.
A member of Questscope staff said to the little girl, ‘You know Meghan?’ but she promptly walked off and the duchess said with a smile: ‘So sweet, so confident – that’s what you’re instilling.’
Meghan seemed eager to give the football drills a go and tried passing the ball before she was joined by Harry for shooting practice, where she triumphed.
The couple visited a number of classrooms, watching teenage girls playing traditional Arabic instruments and in another space, more musicians performed with violins and guitars.
Conversations were conducted through an interpreter but when Harry asked the violinists if made friends through the lessons, 15-year-old Siham, a refugee who arrived in the country aged two, said ‘yes we’re friends’ in perfect English and impressed the Sussexes by saying she was a black belt in the martial art taekwondo.
Jordan has received wave after wave of refugees beginning with Palestinians more than 80 years ago, who now number around 2.5 million, and Syrians who fled conflict in their country until recently ruled by President Bashar al-Assad.
The latest wave of displaced people flowed into the country following the Israeli government’s Gaza war against Hamas, which followed Hamas atrocities against Israeli civilians during the October 7 attacks.
At the roundtable discussion earlier, there were senior figures from UN agencies like UNWRA, UNHCR, World Food Programme, Unicef and diplomatic attendees from countries like the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Canada the EU.
Philip Hall, British Ambassador to Jordan, thanked the Sussexes for travelling to the Middle East: ‘So I would simply say thank you very much indeed for coming.
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex on a visit to the QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex meets girls during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex meets girls during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke of Sussex listens during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duke of Sussex listens during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet people at QuestScope Youth Center today
The DuDuchess of Sussex poses meet people at QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex poses with a group of woman at QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duchess of Sussex poses with a group of woman at QuestScope Youth Center today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to QuestScope Youth Center in Mafraq today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duchess of Sussex meets young musicians during a tour of Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Jordan after the World Health Organisation’s invite
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex look at paintings during their visit to Mafraq in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke of Sussex attends a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duke of Sussex attends a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman, Jordan, today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duchess of Sussex attends a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman today
The Duchess of Sussex attends a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the World Health Organisation roundtable in Jordan today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for a World Health Organisation event in Amman today
Sheri Ritsema-Anderson and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at today’s event in Amman
Sheri Ritsema-Anderson and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at today’s event in Amman
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman today
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at a World Health Organisation roundtable in Amman today
Philip Hall, UK ambassador to Jordan, attends today’s World Health Organisation roundtable
Philip Hall, UK ambassador to Jordan, attends today’s World Health Organisation roundtable
‘Your visit, your support, your appreciation of the efforts that the United Nations, including of course, the World Health Organisation, the government of Jordan and others, are making here is enormously appreciated. So thank you for coming.’
The ambassador also told the assembled group about one of the developments needed to resolve the issues faced by Palestinians: ‘And of course, the last point is just to say a lasting solution of this requires a regional peace.
‘It requires, in particular, peace between Palestine and Israel and the two state solution – that’s easily said, we all know it’s very hard to achieve, but we’re all working on that too.’
The Sussexes’ visit comes during a time of crisis for the Royal Family after Harry’s uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office last Thursday.
The 66-year-old remains on bail and Harry has not yet spoken about the current turmoil engulfing his family.
Since moving to California in 2020 for a new life, the Sussexes have carried out a number of foreign visits that have taken the form of official trips they made when still part of the Royal Family.
Prince William tours the Old Town of AlUla during his royal visit to Saudi Arabia on February 11
Prince William tours the Old Town of AlUla during his royal visit to Saudi Arabia on February 11
William welcomes Crown Prince Hussein to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire for a tour last October
William welcomes Crown Prince Hussein to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire for a tour last October
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania welcome Prince William and Kate to the Zahran Palace in Amman on June 1, 2023 on the day of the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania welcome Prince William and Kate to the Zahran Palace in Amman on June 1, 2023 on the day of the royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein
Prince William and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein watch England’s World Cup match against Panama at Beit Al Urdun Palace in Amman on June 25, 2018
Prince William and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein watch England’s World Cup match against Panama at Beit Al Urdun Palace in Amman on June 25, 2018
Meghan is said to be considering a return to British soil this summer for the first time in four years – but only if the couple are satisfied with security arrangements.
The Duchess is looking at joining her husband at the upcoming Invictus Games one-year countdown event in Birmingham on July 10, ahead of next year’s competition.
She has attended similar ceremonies in both Canada and Germany, and sources have said she is keen to do the same in the UK, provided safety concerns are handled.
In December, Harry was said to be thrilled the Home Office was reviewing his security provisions in the UK following a long-running legal battle.
Such a visit would mark Meghan’s first trip back to Britain since September 2022, when she attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.
The couple’s children Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, have not been in the UK since Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.
