Ra'ad bin Zeid

Raad was born in Berlin, where his father was Iraqi ambassador at the time. He is an agnatic grandson of king Hussein of Hejaz, his father prince Zeid being king Hussein's youngest son. As such he is a first cousin of kings Talal of Jordan and Ghazi of Iraq.

Raad's paternal first cousin once removed was Faisal II, the last king of Iraq, who was killed in a bloody coup d'état on 14 July 1958 (Crown Prince Abd-al-Illah was also killed). Following the revolution, Prince Zeid, Raad's father, was recognized as the Head of the Royal House of Iraq by his remaining agnatic co-heirs of Jordan. They continued to live in London, where the family resided during the coup, as Zeid was the Iraqi ambassador there.

Raad himself succeeded his father as all such at the latter's death in 1970 in exile in France.

He was educated in Alexandria, Egypt, and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1960, promoted to MA in 1963.

After receiving his Cambridge degree, Raad was appointed as Chamberlain of the Royal Court of Jordan, in Amman, and afterwards worked there in civil administration and charitable organizations. He was an aide and a close confidant of his cousins kings Hussein and Abdullah II of Jordan.

Prince Raad married at Södertälje, Sweden, June 30, 1963 (civil), and at the Royal Palace, Amman, on August 5, 1963, Swedish-born Margaretha Inga Elisabeth Lind, henceforward known as Majda Ra'ad, President of Al-Hussein Society and Director of Bandak Foundation, born in Arboga on September 5, 1942, daughter of Sven Gustav Lind and wife Carin Inga Birgitta Gunlaug Grönwall, daughter of Eugen Assar Alexius Grönwall and wife, Signe Maria Svensson, and an illegitimate descendant of the House of Vasa through King Charles XI of Sweden. They have five children:

• Zeid bin Ra'ad - Jordanian diplomat, served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014 to 2018. Born January 26, 1964, married to Sarah Butler They have 3 children, Ra'ad bin Zeid (Born: 17 May 2001), Hala bint Zeid (Born: 13 March 2003) and Azizah.
• Mired bin Ra'ad - born June 11, 1965, married to Dina Khalifeh. They have 3 children, Shirin bint Mir'ed (Born: 19 May 1993), Rakan bin Mir'ed (Born: 20 November 1995) and Jafar bin Mir'ed (Born: 4 September 2002).
• Firas bin Ra'ad - born October 12, 1969, married to Dana Nabil Toukan. They have 3 children, Safa (Born: 26 July 2001), Haya (Born: 7 March 2003) and Hashem (Born: 31 October 2010).
• Faisal bin Ra'ad - born March 6, 1975, graduated from Brown University, and married to Lara Sukhtian. She worked with MSNBC NBC News in Baghdad covering the Iraq war. She's the daughter of Munjid Sukhtian. They have 3 children, Hanan (Born: 3 September 2006), Mariam (Born: 25 July 2008) and Faisal (Born: April 2013).
• Fakhrelnissa (Nissa) bint Ra'ad (Fakhrelnissa) - born January 11, 1981, graduated from Brown University and UCL. Artist known as Nissa Raad. Married in 2005 (divorced in 2017). She has 3 children, Radwan Hajjar (Born: 8 August 2006), Faisal Hajjar (Born: 14 December 2007) and a daughter Lana Hajjar (Born: 30 April 2012).

Prince Raad's position as the head of the Royal House of Iraq is in contention with Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein (a descendant of Hussein of Hejaz's granddaughter, sister and male cousin, but not in male line from king Hussein) who is another pretender to the Iraqi throne and the leader of the Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy.

•  Malaysia : Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P.M.N.) (1965)[3]

• Ra'ad bin Zeid