Jordan’s Prince Hamzah pledged loyalty to the king on Monday as the monarch accepted mediation over a rift within the royal family that saw the prince placed under house arrest, the palace said.
In what seems like an easing of the palace turmoil, the 41-year-old prince pledged his backing to King Abdullah.
“I will remain faithful to the legacy of my ancestors, walking on their path, loyal to their path and their message and to His Majesty,” he said in a signed letter, quoted by the palace.
“I will always be ready to help and support His Majesty the King and his Crown Prince,” he is quoted as writing.
Hamzah’s statement came shortly after the palace said Abdullah had agreed to enter mediation “to handle the question of Prince Hamzah within the framework of the Hashemite (ruling) family”.
The job of mediator was handed to his uncle, Prince Hassan, himself a former heir to the throne.
The government has accused Hamzah, the half-brother of King Abdullah II, of a “wicked” plot and involvement in a seditious conspiracy to “destabilise the kingdom’s security”.
The former crown-prince, detained along with at least 16 others, had earlier struck a defiant tone saying he had been placed under house arrest inside his Amman palace, but insisting he would not obey orders restricting his movement.
Hamzah has been a vocal critic of Jordan monarchy, accusing the leadership of corruption, nepotism and authoritarian rule.
