JEDDAH, 31 May 2006 — A businesswoman and a mother of four, Queen Rania of Jordan is out to change the world into a better place for women and children. Now she’s about to discuss her noble pursuits with Oprah Winfrey, America’s own reigning queen of daytime talk television, in a highly anticipated episode titled “The World’s Youngest Queen.”
MBC4 will exclusively air the interview on June 7, only days after its original airing in the US.
The 35-year-old wife of Jordan’s King Abdallah was born Rania Al-Yasin in Kuwait to Palestinian parents.
The UK’s Harper’s & Queen magazine named her the world’s most beautiful woman in 2005, but her beauty is often portrayed as taking second chair to her philanthropy.
The queen is particularly active in the areas of micro-financing projects for women entrepreneurs in the developing world and the protection of children from violence.
“I make a conscious effort not to be conscious of it,” the queen said to Oprah in a prereleased transcript of the interview, referring to her royal status. “I’m Rania, you know? People call me ‘Queen,’ but you know, that’s not me.”
In this candid interview, Rania discusses motherhood, education, and addresses North American misconceptions about Muslim culture. She also talks about what being queen mans to her. Sounding much like the late Princess Diana, Rania says she makes efforts to breach the wall between queen and commoner.
“One of the major misconceptions about this position is that people think that I might be far removed, that I might not be in touch with reality,” she tells Orpah.
“The honest truth is that my life is very much about dealing with issues on the ground, dealing with the problems that our country faces. That’s something I do on a daily basis.”
Oprah discusses the North American perception of monarchs, often viewed as wealthy members of a ruling class that maintains power through biological inheritance rather than meritocracy.
“For me, it’s just real life,” says Rania. “I am a mother. I care about my children. I worry about what they eat. I worry about the influences from their friends.”
Though Rania says she has never worn a veil, she tells Oprah that she understands why a woman would want to.
“We think it’s a personal choice,” she explains. “Unfortunately, in the West, people look at the veil as a sign of oppression or weakness. This is not true as long as a woman is wearing it because of her belief. I always say we should judge a woman according to what’s going on in their heads rather than what’s going on on top of their heads.”
Oprah’s interview with the queen airs on June 7 at 9 p.m. local time.
