Queen Noor of Jordan

LONG BEACH – DEC 7: Queen Noor of Jordan at the California Governor’s Conference on Women and Families at the Convention Center on December 7, 2004 in Long Beach, California, Joe Seer/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Lisa Najeeb Halaby

Place of Birth: Washington, D.C., U.S.

Date of Birth: August 23, 1951

Ethnicity: Syrian Arab (paternal grandfather), Swedish (maternal grandfather), English, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, distant Irish

Queen Noor of Jordan is an American-Jordanian philanthropist and activist. She was Queen consort of Jordan, as the wife of King Hussein, of the Hashemite Royal Family, from June 15, 1978 to February 7, 1999; the king’s death. Her stepson, Abdullah II of Jordan, succeeded his father as King of Jordan, having been coronated on 9 June, 1999. Queen Noor is a member of the Board of Commissioners of the International Commission on Missing Persons, president of the United World Colleges movement, and an advocate for Global Zero, a campaign against nuclear weapons proliferation.

Queen Noor is the daughter of Doris (Carlquist) and Najeeb Elias Halaby, Jr., a U.S. Navy experimental test pilot, airline executive, and government official, who was Federal Aviation Administrator, from March 3, 1961 to July 1, 1965, and CEO of Pan American World Airways, from 1969 to 1972. She grew up partly in California and New York.

Queen Noor was raised Episcopalian. She converted to Sunni Islam when marrying King Hussein. She changed her name to Noor Al Hussein. Queen Noor and King Hussein had four children, Hamzah bin Hussein, who has renounced his title of “Prince;” Prince Hashim bin Hussein; Princess Iman bint Hussein; and Princess Raiyah bint Hussein. Princess Raiyah is married to Ned Donovan, the maternal half-brother of British model Sophie Dahl.

Queen Noor’s paternal grandfather was Najeeb Elias Halaby (the son of Elias Halaby and Almas Malluk/Mallouk). Najeeb was born in Zahlé, now Lebanon, to parents from Aleppo, Syria. His family was Christian. An immigrant, he became a successful businessperson in the U.S. as a petroleum broker; and ran interior decorating shop and rug boutique Halaby Galleries, in Dallas. Queen Noor’s great-grandfather Elias was a provincial treasurer/magistrate.

Queen Noor’s paternal grandmother was Laura Wilkins (the daughter of John Thomas Wilkins and Mary Prudence “Mamie” Steel). Laura was born in Texas, and was raised on a ranch. John was the son of James Martin Wilkins and Mariah Caldwell/Chadwell Randle. Mary was the daughter of Francis Marion Newton Steele, whose father was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland; and of Sophia Almira Steel.

Queen Noor’s maternal grandfather was Franklin Elvin “Frank” Carlqvist (the son of Karl/Carl Johan Carlqvist and Kristina Sofia Ljunggren). Franklin was born in Minnesota, to Swedish parents. He was mayor of Leavenworth, Washington. Karl was born in Soldattorp Årtnäset, Hultsfred, Vena, Kalmar län, Småland, the son of Magnus Olsson and Maja Lisa Jönsdotter. Kristina was born in Örsåsa, Östergötland, the daughter of Nils Peter Persson Ljunggren and Sara Magnusdotter Cassel.

Queen Noor’s maternal grandmother was Mae/May Ethel Ackroyd (the daughter of Eli Ackroyd and Janet Peddie). Mae was born in Colorado, to a father from Manchester, Greater Manchester, England and a mother from Glasgow, Scotland.

Sources: Genealogies of Queen Noor of Jordan – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Obituary of Queen Noor’s mother – https://www.washingtonpost.com