- Prince William was greeted by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah
- He will become the first British royal to pay official visits to both Israel and the Palestinian territories
AMMAN: Prince William arrived in Jordan on Sunday at the start of a Middle East tour that will see him become the first British royal to pay official visits to both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He was greeted at Amman’s Marka military airport by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, who is hosting William for the two-day visit in Jordan.
The 36-year-old Duke of Cambridge’s Royal Air Force plane touched down at the small airport in eastern Amman, where he was given a red-carpet welcome by the heir to the Jordanian throne.
Royal guards carrying rifles fitted with bayonets and wearing traditional red-and-white chequered keffiyeh scarves stood to attention as the prince, in a dark suit, descended from the plane.
The Duke of Cambridge has landed in Amman, Jordan.
Over the next five days The Duke will visit Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories – and is looking forward to building a real and enduring relationship with the people of the region. pic.twitter.com/69xfB3p3pb
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) June 24, 2018
Amman’s Mayor Youssef Al-Shawarbeh and foreign diplomats based in Jordan were also present at the airport to greet William.
The second in line to the British throne will spend two days in Jordan for a visit billed as a chance to bond with 23-year-old Prince Hussein, a fellow graduate of Britain’s Royal Sandhurst Military Academy.
But the region is a minefield of sensitivities.
In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah he is also set to meet Palestinian refugees and young people.