For years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have vacationed with their family at the private summer palace of Jordan's king. This year, they stayed in Britain with their three children instead. Worry about missile and drone fire in the region figured among the reasons for abandoning the traditional getaway, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Even royal holiday plans in Britain are being shaped by Middle East tensions. Prince William and Princess Kate opted to remain home with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis when schools broke up for October, and George, 13, was marking his first school break since entering the prestigious Eton College boarding school.
Regular guests of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, the couple hold an open invitation to stay at the monarch's private resort palace on the Red Sea coast. Family holidays there were a feature of earlier years. Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, sometimes came along as well.
At this time of year, Jordan has been accustomed to expecting a visit from the couple, a source told the Mail on Sunday. The source said the danger from Iranian and Houthi missiles complicates any holiday in the region, particularly one that includes water activities, and judged that the security situation had been one of the factors behind the family's decision to stay away this year.
Private palace, luxury villas and water sports
The getaway the couple gave up is anything but ordinary: King Abdullah's private resort compound has roughly 15 guest villas, fitness facilities and options for water sports. Security personnel and Royal Jordanian Navy forces guard the secured grounds, with patrols extending to the waters near the shore.
Diving, water skiing, jet skis, fishing and excursions into the nearby desert are on offer to guests, and King Abdullah regularly hosts businesspeople, prominent figures and members of royal families there, including at meals and private events.
The family connection that made Jordan special
For decades, ties have linked the British and Jordanian royal families. King Charles has made numerous visits to Jordan over the years, while Prince William keeps up a personal relationship with Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, with whom he studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and also trained as a helicopter pilot.
Jordan holds personal significance for Kate as well. As a child she lived there for nearly three years after her father was stationed in Amman for British Airways, and she attended kindergarten in the Jordanian capital, keeping an affinity for the country over the years.
A photograph taken in Jordan featured on the couple's 2021 Christmas card, showing William and Kate with their three children. The couple went back to Jordan in June 2023 for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif. Royal families from across the globe were represented at the event.
Jordan's location, bordering Israel, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia, is a sensitive one, and it forms the backdrop to the decision to skip the trip. During the confrontation between the US and Iran, the country faced threats and missile fire, and a report from the US Congressional Research Service dated October 2026 states that Iran launched more than 400 missiles and unmanned aircraft toward Jordan by September, while military facilities in the country were also hit.
