Majda Ra'ad

Princess Majda Ra'ad was a Swedish-born Jordanian member of the Hashemite House who was the wife of Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, the current pretender to the defunct Kingdom of Iraq and Syria and the Lord Chamberlain of Jordan. She was a Jordanian princess by marriage and a member of the House of Hashem.

Early life and family

Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind was born on 5 September 1942 in Arboga to Sven Gustaf Lind and Carin Inga Birgitta Gunlaug Grönwall. She was raised in Södertälje. She studied at Colin Leclaire High School.

Marriage and issue

Lind married Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, son of Prince Zeid bin Hussein and Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid, in 1963. They were first married in a civil ceremony on 30 June in Södertälje, Sweden, and religiously at the Raghadan Palace in Amman on 5 August. They have five children:

Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad, married to Sarah Butler. They have 3 children: Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, Princess Hala bint Zeid and Princess Azizah bint Zeid.
Prince Mired bin Ra'ad, married to Dina Muhammad Khalifeh. They have 3 children: Princess Shirin bint Mired, Prince Rakan bin Mired and Prince Jafar bin Mired.
Prince Firas bin Ra'ad, married to Dana Nabil Toukan. They have 3 children: Princess Safa bint Firas, Princess Haya bint Firas and Prince Hashem bin Firas.
Prince Faisal bin Ra'ad, graduated from Brown University, and married to Lara Sukhtian. She worked with MSNBC NBC News in Baghdad covering the Iraq War. She's the daughter of Jordanian businessman Munjid Sukhtian. They have 3 children: Prince Hanan bin Faisal, Princess Mariam bint Faisal and Prince Hussein bin Faisal.
Princess Fakhrelnissa bint Ra'ad, graduated from Brown University and University College London, and artist known as Nissa Raad. She married in 2005. She has 3 children: Radwan Hajjar, Faisal Hajjar and Lana Hajjar.

In 1970, her husband succeeded his father as the head of the Royal Houses of Iraq and Syria and claimant to the defunct throne of Iraq.

Charity and philanthropic work

In 1971, Majda Ra'ad founded the Al-Hussein Society and served as its president. From 1985 to 1986 she served as the chairwoman of the Board of Occupational Therapy College and worked for the Care of Neurological Patients from 1986 until 1996. She served as the president of Scandinavian Ladies of Amman since 1985 and president of the Jordanian Swedish Friendship Association since 1986. In 1987 she became a member of the Philadelphia Inner Wheel Club. In 1988 she helped found the Petra National Trust. She served as the director of the Bandak Foundation in 1998.
In December 2014, Majda Ra'ad and her husband were patrons of the Embassy of Ukraine in Jordan's Annual Charity Christmas Bazaar.
In October 2015, Majda Ra'ad and her husband participated in a clean up campaign for the Scandinavian Forest in Ain Al Basha.

Honour

Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star

Death and funeral

On 3 January 2025, the Royal Hashemite Court announced the death of the princess. In an official statement, the Court said she died in Amman earlier that day. A funeral will be held at the Royal Cemetery, following the funeral prayer at the Royal Guards Mosque.