King Talal Bin Abdullah I

The late King Talal was the son of King Abdullah I. He was born in 1909 and he ascended to the throne of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1951 after his father’s assassination. Due to his health conditions, he abdicated the throne and handed over the rule to his eldest son King Hussein bin Talal.

King Talal was born in Mecca in the Hejaz Emirate and received a private early education. He later joined the British Royal Military College in Sandhurst, UK. After his graduation in 1929, he joined the army as a second lieutenant in cavalry regiment. King Abdullah’s sudden death in 1951 forced King Talal to assume the thrown. Although he ruled Jordan for a brief period he performed some deeds of lasting value. For example, King Talal gave increased responsibilities to the Jordanian parliament and held the Jordanian government and its ministers accountable to it. He did not believe in unlimited powers of the government and stressed that accountability should be a part of all governmental affairs that deal with the Jordanian public. His act of liberalization of the constitution resulted in changing the view of ministers that their first and foremost duty is to serve the public. King Talal also attempted to improve the diplomatic relations between Jordan and Egypt and Saudi Arabia. These relations had been strained because of King Abdullah I’s policies concerning the settlement of Palestinians in Jordan.

His health conditions deteriorated and he was found no longer fit to handle the complex matters of national building and running government affairs. He abdicated the throne of Jordan in favor of his eldest son King Hussein in 1952.

King Talal married only once and had four sons and two daughters.