Princess Majda Ra’ad died on January 3, 2025 in Amman. This Swedish woman had married the nephew of King Faisal I of Iraq and Syria, also a member of the Hashemite royal family. Princess Majda’s funeral took place on the same day of her death, in the presence of King Abdullah II of Jordan and many members of the Hashemite royal family.
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Death of Princess Majda Ra’ad, wife of the pretender to the throne of Iraq
Margaretha Lind was born in Arboga, Sweden, on September 5, 1942. In 1962, she crossed paths with Prince Ra’ad ben Zeid during a stay in London. The prince married Margaretha a year later, first in Sweden, then at the royal palace in Amman, Jordan, on August 5, 1963. At the time of her marriage, the Swede took the first name Majda. The couple had five children. The Hashemite Royal Court announced the death of Princess Majda Ra’ad on January 3, 2025, at the age of 82.
Prince Ra’ad bin Zeid was born in 1936, during the reign of his first cousin, King Ghazi of Iraq. His father was Prince Zeid, one of the brothers of King Faisal I of Iraq and Syria but also of King Ali of Hejaz and King Abdullah I of Jordan. Indeed, following the First World War and following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein, became king of Hejaz in 1916. His eldest son, Ali, succeeded him on the throne of Hejaz. His second son, Abdallah, also benefited from the disintegration of the Middle East, being placed in 1921 on the throne of Transjordan (which later became Jordan). Finally, the third son, Faisal, will be placed on the throne of Syria in 1920.
King Faisal I was king of Syria only very briefly. After a few months, the king was forced into exile but Faisal was then placed by the British on the throne of Iraq in 1921. He would be the first king of Iraq from 1921 until his death in 1933. His son Ghazi will reign over Iraq until 1939, who will himself be succeeded by his son, Faisal II. Shortly after the creation of the Arab Federation with his Hashemite cousins from Jordan, Faisal II was overthrown in a coup in 1958. He was executed and the monarchy was abolished. Being only engaged when he died at the age of 23, Faisal II had no descendants. Prince Zeid, brother of his grandfather, was his designated successor.
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-King Abdullah II attends Princess Majda’s funeral
Prince Zeid, youngest son of King Hussein, never ascended the throne, unlike his older brothers who each inherited a throne in the Middle East. Military strategist and diplomat, Prince Zeid almost became king of a kingdom once imagined by Laurence of Arabia, in the northwest of Iraq. He would ultimately serve as Iraqi ambassador during the reigns of his brother, his nephew and his great-nephew. Prince Zeid, then Iraqi ambassador to Ankara, married the niece of a former Ottoman grand vizier in 1933. Prince Zeid and Princess Fahrelnissa had a son, Prince Ra’ad.
Prince Zeid became closer to Jordan’s royal family after the fall of the monarchy in Iraq. Members of the Iraqi royal family were executed but Prince Zeid escaped, living at the time in London, where he served as Iraqi ambassador. He will then become the head of the royal family in exile. Prince Zeid died in 1970 and his only son, Prince Ra’ad became the head of the royal family. Today, the Hashemite royal family only reigns over Jordan. King Ali of Hejaz was overthrown from his throne in 1924 by Abdelaziz, of the Saud family, who would form the new great kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Prince Ra’ad became a close advisor to King Hussein of Jordan and then to King Abdullah II of Jordan. His wife, Princess Majda, carried out public and charitable engagements with other princesses of Jordan. Due to her Swedish origins, she was also present at international events to welcome European heads of state. We also remember the various visits of Swedish sovereigns to Amman, during which Princess Majda was responsible for accompanying Queen Silvia during her visits.
Prince Ra’ad, now a widower and aged 88, is not actively campaigning for the return of the monarchy to Iraq. His son and heir, Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad is a well-known face of international institutions being a representative of the United Nations. He even served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights until 2018. He is himself the father of four children.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
