Jul 3, 2009, 11:00 GMT
Jordan's King Abdullah II has named his eldest son heir to the throne.
The 47-year-old monarch bestowed the title of Crown Prince on 15-year-old Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah by royal decree yesterday (02.07.09), ending five years of speculation over his successor.
Abdullah was reportedly keen to avoid the succession uncertainty that plagued his father King Hussein.
Hussein stunned Jordanians in 1999, when he - fighting cancer on his death bed - stripped his brother Prince Hassan of the crown and gave it to Abdullah.
Hassan had been groomed for the throne for more than three decades.
Crown Prince Hussein - the eldest of Abdullah's four children with Queen Rania - will enjoy the "rights and privileges" of his new post immediately.
Under the constitution, he will have a largely ceremonial role, representing his father in ribbon-cutting ceremonies and other symbolic functions. He has no official political powers.
Jordan has been without a crown prince since November 2004, when Abdullah removed the title from his half brother Prince Hamzah so the academic could live a "normal life".
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