The Prince and Princess of Wales are believed to have a standing invitation to spend family holidays at the magnificent seaside palace of Jordan’s King Abdullah II. This half-term, however, William and Kate have opted to stay in Britain as Prince George prepares for his first school break since starting at Eton.
The Wales family have previously enjoyed spectacular stays at the private Red Sea retreat. But with conflict continuing across the Middle East, a return to Jordan appears not to have been considered this year.
A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘In Jordan, there’s always chatter around this time of year that the Prince and Princess of Wales will come to stay. They are considered regulars here in Jordan.
‘But they can hardly come here for water sports and jet skiing when there is the threat of Houthi or Iranian missiles. It can’t be a coincidence if an autumn return to Jordan wasn’t on their radar this year.’
King Abdullah, 64, was educated in Surrey, Oxford and Sandhurst and is known for welcoming some of the world’s most prominent figures to his holiday palace. Over the past six years, the property has been expanded to accommodate roughly 15 guest families in exceptional luxury.
While guests unwind, Royal Jordanian Navy gunboats patrol the waters off the secluded beach, with elite military personnel also helping to secure the extensive compound.
William and Kate are understood to have stayed at the palace as guests of King Abdullah and Queen Rania. On at least one visit, they are thought to have been joined by their children, George, 13, Charlotte, 11, and eight-year-old Louis, along with Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.
William and Kate with George, Charlotte and Louis pose for their 2021 Christmas card picture, taken in Jordan
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania love to host the world’s most prominent people at their holiday palace
The vast estate includes around 15 luxury villas, plus gyms and facilities for watersports. Its scale and amenities have led some to describe it as a five-star holiday resort rather than a conventional royal residence.
According to a source who spoke to The Mail on Sunday, the palace functions as a private first-class Club Med for royalty, offering almost every luxury imaginable. Guests can scuba dive — a pastime William enjoys — as well as waterski, ride jet skis and fish before joining lavish barbecues hosted by the King.
The setting is said to be relaxed and informal. Visiting royals can travel around the huge grounds in personal golf buggies and enjoy a level of freedom rarely available during their public engagements. One source said: ‘I bet William and Kate are incredibly sad not to be going this year.’
The surrounding attractions include a yacht club and King Abdullah’s car museum, where the collection features vintage Aston Martins, Ferraris, McLarens and motorcycles. William is also said to have ridden some of the monarch’s prized bikes.
A source said: ‘It gives the King great pleasure to be able to offer the best hospitality to interesting people he wants to get to know or to be able offer a nice treat for families like the Waleses – who he already knows well and is fond of – to give them some much-needed family time.’
The British and Jordanian royal families have maintained close ties for decades. King Abdullah II’s father, King Hussein, became monarch in 1952 — the same year Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne — and King Charles has made regular visits to Jordan. William is also understood to be friends with Abdullah’s son, Crown Prince Hussein, who trained at Sandhurst like the Prince of Wales. The two men are even said to have watched an England football match together.
Kate, meanwhile, has a particularly strong personal connection to Jordan.
She lived there for almost three years as a child after her father, Michael Middleton, was posted to Amman during his career with British Airways. Kate attended nursery school in the Jordanian capital and has retained a lasting affection for the country.
Tensions between Jordan and Iran have been growing as conflict in the Middle East continues
During an official visit to Jordan in 2018, William was shown a photograph of Kate visiting the ancient ruins of Jerash as a young girl alongside her father and sister, Pippa. The Prince then posed at the same location, joking that his wife would be disappointed to have missed the visit.
It may therefore be unsurprising that Michael and Carole have joined the Waleses at the resort in the past. They are understood to have access to discounted travel through BA, although they are believed to have travelled in standard class rather than business or first class.
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But while the journey to Jordan might begin on a commercial flight, the experience becomes rather more extraordinary once they land in Amman. Royal visitors can be whisked aboard one of King Abdullah’s luxurious military helicopters for the journey to the Red Sea resort.
King Abdullah, a keen pilot, sometimes takes the controls himself. Crown Prince Hussein is also, like his friend William, a trained helicopter pilot.
Originally a smaller seaside residence, the royal retreat has expanded considerably, transforming into an extraordinary holiday resort. The luxurious guest villas are modestly called ‘chalets’, though they are more like miniature palaces.
King Abdullah is so enthusiastic about scuba diving that guests are encouraged to join him on almost daily expeditions to enjoy the spectacular underwater scenery. Catherine is said to be particularly fond of waterskiing and jet-skiing.
Guests can enjoy excursions into the extraordinary desert landscape nearby, where guests can spend a night or two away from the coast.
The trips, by helicopter or four-wheel-drive vehicles, give visitors the chance to experience Jordan’s spectacular scenery.
In the evenings, King Abdullah is said to enjoy hosting outdoor barbecues, personally taking charge of the grill in a tradition reminiscent of the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was famously happiest cooking for his family outdoors. The watershed 1969 documentary Royal Family shows Prince Philip cooking on a barbecue at Balmoral Castle.
Despite the extraordinary luxury, the mood is said to be remarkably relaxed. Guests can travel around the sprawling estate in their own golf buggies, dropping in on each other and enjoying the sort of informal family life rarely possible for royals elsewhere.
King Abdullah has also used the retreat to entertain Hollywood stars, business leaders and other influential figures. According to the source, visitors have included Hollywood actors Keanu Reeves, Jason Momoa, Timothee Chalamet and Oscar Isaac, as well as television presenter Richard Hammond. The cast of the Dune and Star Wars films are said to have enjoyed the King’s hospitality in between breaks in filming in the desert.
The Waleses’ fondness for Jordan was highlighted in their 2021 Christmas card, which featured William and Kate with George, Charlotte and Louis during a holiday in the country.
The photograph showed the family dressed casually in summer clothes against a rocky desert backdrop.
William and Kate returned to Jordan in June 2023 for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein to Rajwa Al Saif. They joined royals from around the world for the lavish celebrations in Amman.
The location of the palace has become an increasing concern as the security situation across the region has deteriorated. The source believes the growing threat posed by missiles and drones in the wider Middle East will have made the family’s holiday arrangements there too risky to consider this year.
The Princess recently spoke of her excitement at spending October half-term with George, Charlotte and Louis.
Kate has repeatedly emphasised the importance of family life and has made clear that raising her three children is her priority.
William and Kate are understood to arrange their official engagements around the children’s school holidays wherever possible, ensuring they can spend as much time together as their royal duties allow.
The couple have previously enjoyed holidays on the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, which has been a favourite haunt of the Middletons for years.
William and Kate took their children to the island in 2019, when Prince George celebrated his sixth birthday. They went again last year, during the February half-term.
Kensington Palace declined to comment last night.