Jordan's former crown prince, Hamzah bin Hussein, who was implicated in a coup plot against his half-brother King Abdullah II, gave up his royal title on Sunday. The outspoken half-brother of Jordan’s king has relinquished his princely title.
Prince Hamzah bin Hussein posted the announcement on his official Twitter account on Sunday.
“From the matter of honesty to God and conscience, I see nothing but to transcend and abandon the title of prince. I had the great honor of serving my beloved country and my dear people over the years of my life.”
“I will remain as I have always been and as long as I live,” the letter concluded, “loyal to our beloved Jordan.”
Hamzah's protest of how the country is being run comes on the heels of a public apology to his half-brother, the king, . It remains unclear how Hamzah’s decision will affect his status under house arrest, or what he plans to do next.
Abdullah and Hamzah are sons of King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for nearly a half-century before his death in 1999. Abdullah had appointed Hamzah as crown prince upon his succession but stripped him of the title in 2004.
The monarch had placed Hamzah under house arrest last April for his alleged plot to destabilize the Western-allied kingdom.
In a video statement at the time, Hamzah denied the allegations, saying he was being punished for speaking out against official corruption.
Last month, Hamzah apologized to his brother, according to a letter released by the Royal Hashemite Court at the time. Hamzah went on to express hope that “we can turn the page on this chapter in our country’s and our family’s history.”
It was not immediately clear if Hamzah’s decision to relinquish his title will help restore his freedom of movement. Hamzah has only appeared in public once since the feud. The court announced the birth of Hamzah’s son on February.
The Royal Hashemite Court made no immediate comment. Hamzah’s mother, Queen Noor, who has been outspoken in support of him in the past, had no comment beyond retweeting her son’s letter and responding with a prayer-hands emoji to a Twitter user praising Hamzah as “the prince of our hearts.”