01 June 2023 , 08:29
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The Prince and Princess of Wales will be surprise guests at one of the year's most glamourous and eagerly-anticipated royal weddings.
The couple has travelled to Jordan to be at the lavish nuptials of Crown Prince Hussein, who is marrying his architect fiancée Rajwa Al Saif at the Zahran Palace in Amman at 2pm today before enjoying a lavish reception at the Al-Husseiniya Palace.
William and Kate were spotted after arriving in the country at the bar of the five-star hotel where they are staying. It is the first time they have attend a major royal international event together.
Hussein, 28, is the eldest son of King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan - and he is known to have a close bond with William.
William and Kate arriving in Amman yesterday (ET Arabia)
The couple carried their own bags (ET Arabia)In 2018, during a solo trip to Jordan, William stopped by Hussein's swanky bachelor pad at the King's residence of Beit al Urdun to watch a football match.
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William had missed out on watching England's emphatic victory over Panama in that year's World Cup while travelling to the country - so the Crown Prince recorded it for him.
Kensington Palace later shared a picture of William watching the rerun on a huge screen alongside Hussein as they reclined on a huge grey corner sofa.
In addition, Hussein's mum Queen Rania is a member of William's Earthshot Prize Council.
Meanwhile, the country of Jordan is a special place for Kate, who lived there for three years as a young child.
It came when her dad Michael Middleton was relocated there while working for British Airways - and Kate and sister Pippa attended a nursery there.
A sweet picture of the young girls shows them with their dad at an archaeological site in the country.
Hussein with his wife-to-be Rajwa (AFP via Getty Images)And in 2021, the couple took their children to Jordan for a private holiday, with a family snap at the ancient city of Petra from that getaway featuring on their Christmas card that year.
It came after William promised to take his family to Jordan following his 2018 visit there.
William and Kate’s current trip to Jordan was not announced in advance and their arrival was confirmed by Jordanian state media a few hours before the start of the palace ceremony.
The wedding comes after Hussein, a graduate of the UK's Sandhurst Military Academy, and Rajwa's engagement was announced last August with a ceremony to mark it taking place in the bride's home city of Riyadh.
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William and Crown Prince Hussein at his bachelor pad in 2018Two weeks ago, Queen Rania threw a traditional henna party for her daughter-in-law-to-be and later shared special behind-the-scenes footage of the emotional event.
The wedding comes after a difficult period for Jordan’s monarchy, including a public rift between the king and his half-brother, with some commentators interpreting the national celebrations as a way of shoring up public support at a time of persistent economic difficulties.
Designed to convey a sense of continuity, the event is expected to include features from previous royal weddings, including a motorcade of red Land Rovers escorting the newlywed couple through the streets of Amman after the ceremony.
William and Kate with their children on a family holiday to Jordan in 2021 (Getty Images)William and Kate are in good company as other guests at the wedding will include royalty from across the world such as Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his Australian-born wife Crown Princess Mary as well as the heir to the Swedish throne Crown Princess Victoria and husband Prince Daniel.
The King and Queen of the Netherlands are also there as well as the King of Belgium and his young heir Princess Elisabeth. The US will be represented by its First Lady Jill Biden.