Hussein of Jordan: The survivor king

Summary

Podcast Summary: Witness History – Hussein of Jordan: The Survivor King

Host: Jane Wilkinson
Date: June 12, 2026
Length: 9 minutes
Theme:
A fast-paced, insightful account of King Hussein of Jordan’s perilous life and groundbreaking reign, told via archive news, interviews, and Hussein’s own words. The episode focuses on the myriad assassination attempts he survived, the geopolitical pressures he faced throughout the Middle East, and his legacy as a stabilizing, complex monarch.

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Episode Overview

Jane Wilkinson introduces listeners to the remarkable life of King Hussein of Jordan, whose reign from 1953 to 1999 was marked by repeated attempts on his life and immense political challenges. Through firsthand interviews and archival news audio, the episode explores Hussein’s resilience, the political turbulence of his era, and his balancing act between reform, tradition, and survival. Central to the episode are Hussein’s personal reflections, revealing a leader shaped in crisis, both admired and criticized.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Formative Trauma: The Assassination of King Abdullah I (00:57 – 02:05)

• Hussein’s first close call with death at age 15: As a teenager, Hussein was present when his grandfather, King Abdullah I, was assassinated. Hussein himself was grazed by a bullet, his survival owing in part to a medal that deflected a shot.

  • Quote:

    “One of the bullets glanced off a medley I was wearing. Another passed so close to my ear that it left some burns. ... It was apparent that it was all over.”
    – King Hussein (01:41)

• Impact: This event set Hussein on the path to kingship, inheriting the throne just two years later after his father stepped down due to illness.

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2. Reluctant Leadership and National Expectations (02:36 – 02:59)

• Youngest King: Hussein ascended as king at just 17.

  • Quote:

    “It felt like something I never expected or anticipated, not that early in life... I’d do anything and everything in my ability to live up to their expectations.”
    – King Hussein (02:41)

• Post-coronation optimism: Heavy responsibilities were quickly thrust onto his shoulders amid celebratory scenes in Amman.

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3. Geopolitical Tightrope: Western Allies and Regional Criticisms (02:59 – 03:55)

• Reforms and Western Support: Hussein enacted economic reforms with backing from the UK and US.
• Perception as a Western Ally: Prominent Arab leaders and Palestinian refugees accused him of being too conciliatory towards Israel or too close to the West.
• Mounting Unrest: Jordan faced intense political pressure, with critics accusing Hussein of endangering Arab unity.

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4. Violence and Black September (1970) (03:33 – 04:40)

• Black September Crisis: Violent clashes between Jordanian forces and the PLO led to thousands of deaths; Hussein barely survived multiple assassination attempts.
• Dramatic Escape: Hussein recounts a roadside ambush (circa 1970), where he risked his life to retrieve his military beret as bullets flew overhead.
  • Quote:

    “Except for the fact that I found that I had lost my berry in the... ditch in the process. And that’s very silly things, I asked the driver to stop and I got out and got my berry and put it on under this heavy fire and we drove off. I can never understand why I did that.”
    – King Hussein (04:18)

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5. Other Assassination Attempts (04:40 – 06:24)

• Bomb Plots and Poison: Recalls a 1950s bomb attack targeting both Hussein and his Prime Minister, blamed on Syrian intelligence; Hussein escaped due to a lucky timing.

• Poisoned Nose Drops:

  • Quote:

    “It turned out to be acid. Fortunately, I didn’t use it. And it was one more escape.”
    – King Hussein (05:26)

• The Palace Cats Foil a Plot: Noting several palace cats had died, Hussein uncovered a plot to poison him when a cook’s experiments on the cats revealed the sinister plan.

  • Quote:

    “So we began an investigation and turned out that ... he was experimenting to see whether [the poison] worked or not. So the cats led us to I would be assassin.”
    – King Hussein (06:13)

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6. Philosophy of Survival; The Burden of Kingship (06:24 – 07:01)

• Outlook on Danger: Hussein remained externally calm despite constant mortal threat.

  • Quote:

    “I have been fortunate to escape their attempts. I seem to survive under duress and deep inside. One may be worried, but one has to put on a facade of a smile.”
    – King Hussein (06:29)

• Sense of Duty: When asked if he ever considered relinquishing the throne, Hussein insisted on his sense of obligation.

  • Quote:

    “If it were God’s will... but no, I haven’t thought of it.”
    – King Hussein (06:46)

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7. Criticism of Authoritarianism (07:01 – 07:39)

• Democratic Shortcomings: Hussein’s record included suspending Parliament, firing prime ministers, and canceling elections.

  • Quote:

    “Well, I’m not an absolute monarch because the machinery is there except for Parliament, and obviously that is a very important link that is missing.”
    – King Hussein (07:13)

• Decision-Making:

  • Quote:

    “In the normal way, it has to reach right up to the top. And on many issues, my decision is sought.”
    – King Hussein (07:30)

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8. Legacy and Regional Stability (07:39 – 08:21)

• Mediator and Survivor: Despite criticism, Hussein is acknowledged as a force for stability “sandwiched between Israel and its main Arab enemies.”
• On Enduring Risk:
  • Quote:

    “All that we are building in the shadow of danger, the courage of a people, what their reward ought to be, and not only for us, but for everyone in the area.”
    – King Hussein (08:10)

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9. Lasting Legacy and Reflection (08:30 – 09:01)

• Death in 1999: Hussein succumbed to cancer, having ruled for 46 years. His funeral drew over 60 world leaders, highlighting the breadth of his international impact.
• Final Words on Kingship:
  • Quote:

    “It wasn’t a choice, it was a duty. And I’ve enjoyed it with all its sadness and with all its burdens, so long as I had the feeling that I was serving the people of Jordan…”
    – King Hussein (08:47)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I am at my best when there is a challenge, when there is a problem, when I’m involved in it.” – King Hussein (00:46)
• “One has to put on a facade of a smile and to give everyone else confidence.” – King Hussein (06:29)
• The cat poisoning anecdote demonstrates both the constant peril and surreal moments of royal life.
• Hussein’s reflections on duty versus choice provide insight into the personal costs of absolute leadership.

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Important Timestamps

• 00:57: Hussein recounts the assassination of his grandfather and his near-death experience.
• 02:41: Hussein on the shock and responsibility of assuming the throne at 17.
• 03:33: Turmoil and Black September; militarized crackdowns.
• 04:02: Vivid account of escaping an ambush and risking life for a military beret.
• 04:40–06:13: Series of assassination plots, including poison and cats.
• 06:29: Hussein on maintaining a brave front amid danger.
• 07:13: Addressing criticisms of monarchy versus democracy in Jordan.
• 08:10: Reflections on building a nation “in the shadow of danger.”
• 08:47: Hussein’s final reflections on duty and legacy.

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Summary

Hussein of Jordan: The Survivor King is a concise yet evocative portrait of a leader whose life was etched by violence, near escapes, and the demands of rule in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Through his own words and those of on-the-spot journalists, the episode crafts a firsthand account of survival—blending human foible, political acumen, and the loneliness of power. Hussein’s legacy, as explored within just nine minutes, is captured in the blend of admiration, controversy, and a sense of historical pivotal-ness that defined his reign.

Transcript

[Jane Wilkinson]

Foreign. Welcome to Witness History from the BBC World Service with me, Jane Wilkinson. If you've heard us before, feel free to skip on a few seconds, but if you haven't then thanks for dropping by. We're the podcast that brings history to life in just nine minutes through the eyes of one key witness and lots of truly amazing news archive. So if you enjoy it, please subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts. And now this is the story of Jordan's so called Survivor King who saw off numerous attempts on his life to become one of the longest serving leaders in the Middle East.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

I am at my best when there is a challenge, when there is a problem, when I'm involved in it. And life has been this way for so long, ever since my childhood.

[Jane Wilkinson]

King Hussein of Jordan speaking in a 1978 BBC documentary about surviving several assassination plots involving bullets, bombs and poison. His first brush with death was at the age of just 15 in 1951, when his grandfather, King Abdullah I was targeted by a gunman.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

I was possibly a couple of pieces behind him and almost immediately I saw a man come out from behind the door to our right, his revolver in his hand, pointing at my grandfather and heard the shot. And so as in a nightmare, my grandfather turned and fall and the machine gun opened from inside. The assassin was still shooting and he turned towards me in shock. One of the bullets glanced off a medley I was wearing. Another passed so close to my ear that it was left some burns. I turned around towards my grandfather and we made a stretcher out of one of the carpets. But it was apparent that it was all over.

[Jane Wilkinson]

The killing would lead to Hussein's succession to the throne just two years later, after his own father stepped down because of illness.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

In the city of Amman, capital of Jordan, the enthronement of King Hussein was the occasion for national prayers as well as widespread rejoicing. The ceremony was simple and brief. The King took the oath to uphold the constitution and to be loyal to the nation.

[Jane Wilkinson]

And there were days of celebrations, as Hussein explained to the BBC's Jack Pizzi in the Survivor King documentary.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

What did it feel like to be a king at 17?

[King Hussein of Jordan]

It felt like something I never expected or anticipated, not that early in life yet when I came back here and found the warmth of that welcome by the people of Jordan, I felt right there and then that I'd do anything and everything in my ability to live up to their expectations.

[Jane Wilkinson]

The new king began economic reforms with support from Britain and America. But Hussein's closeness to Western governments was criticised by other Arab leaders. And he was also unpopular with the increasing number of Palestinian refugees living in Jordan who believed he was too conciliatory to neighboring Israel.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

Anti Western rioters have put great pressure on the role of the 21 year old king. With the help of loyal army units, Hussein tries to clamp a lid on a situation that could explode into Civil War.

[Jane Wilkinson]

In 1970, the tension erupted during Black September when violent clashes between Hussein's troops and the Palestine Liberation Organization led to thousands of deaths. The King declared martial law, and despite surrounding himself with bodyguards, he also became an assassin's target.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

It was an ambush. He was traveling with his aides in a car when they were suddenly stopped by machine gun bullets coming from above the road.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

People jumped out of the car and started yelling at me to do the same. Took me a few seconds and then I saw the bullets sort of creating a pattern on the road and I decided it was time to to the same I did. Then we ended up in a ditch. However, we had enough of a chance to at least turn the car around. And by that time there was a bit of fire from outside that enabled us to get in the car. Except for the fact that I found that I had lost my berry in the. In the ditch in the process. And that's very silly things. I asked the driver to stop and I got out and got my berry and put it on under this heavy fire and we drove off. I can never understand why I did that.

[Jane Wilkinson]

And it wasn't the only attempt to kill the King. A decade earlier, Jordan's Prime Minister Hazar Al Majali had died in a bomb attack and a second device intended for Hussein missed him only by minutes. Syrian intelligence services were behind the explosions. According to a later memoir by one of the group, they accused Hussein of being a Western puppet and an obstruction to Arab unity. And there were other plots.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

I've always suffered from sinus problems and I had special nose drops that I would have whenever I felt an attack was coming. I had used a certain bottle of this medicine some while before, but then I decided it might have been a little old. So I asked someone to throw it in the sink and empty it. And I used a new one. The person immediately came horrified at the results. The enamel began to bubble and we still had a part of the substance in the bottle and we sent it to be examined. It turned out to be acid. Unfortunately, I didn't use it. And it was one more escape.

[Jane Wilkinson]

And bizarrely, one attempt was foiled, thanks to the palace cats.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

This time it involved an assistant cook My grandfather had always been very fond of cats, and so have I. And I kept noticing that the cats, in terms of the numbers I saw around the palace, were diminishing. Some dead cats had been spotted. So we began an investigation and turned out that again, this fellow had been approached and had been given some poison that he was meant to use in my food. And he was experimenting to see whether it worked or not. So the cats led us to. I would be assassin.

[Jane Wilkinson]

But the King appears to have been philosophical about his close shaves with death.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

I have been fortunate to escape their attempts. I seem to survive under duress and deep inside. One may be worried, but one has to put on a facade of a smile and to give everyone else confidence.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

Do you ever think, I really would like to give this up, be a

[King Hussein of Jordan]

man in the street if it were God's will? Maybe if I felt there ever was an obstacle in the path of my people or what they striving to achieve, by all means, but no, I haven't thought of it.

[Jane Wilkinson]

But the King did have some critics in Jordan who objected to him often suspending Parliament, firing prime ministers and cancelling elections.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

What do you say to people who would say that you're an absolute monarch?

[King Hussein of Jordan]

Well, I'm not an absolute monarch because the machinery is there except for Parliament, and obviously that is a very important link that is missing. But beyond that, I continue to give advice wherever possible and to give encouragement.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

You say you give advice, but when it really comes to a decision, who

[King Hussein of Jordan]

decides in the normal way, it has to reach right up to the top. And on many issues, my decision is sought.

[Jane Wilkinson]

And over the next decades, Hussein continued to tread a delicate line between the opposing sides in the Middle east, ultimately winning an international reputation as one of the main forces for stability in the region.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

This is still a poor country, but it's strategically vital. Sandwiched between Israel and its main Arab enemies, King Hussein has held it together

[King Hussein of Jordan]

well, in the final analysis, the problems do not go away at the end of office hours. The life of the country, its future, peace in this area, will it be attained or not? All that we are building in the shadow of danger, the courage of a people, what their reward ought to be, and not only for us, but for everyone in the area.

[Jane Wilkinson]

In 1999, after 46 years as ruler and several assassination attempts, the King fell ill with cancer.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

The last journey for King Hussein of Jordan, one of the central figures in the search for peace in the Middle east, is on the point of death.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Twenty years earlier, in the BBC documentary, he'd reflected on the legacy he wanted to leave behind.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

If you had your life over again, would you choose to be King of Jordan?

[King Hussein of Jordan]

It wasn't a choice, it was a duty. And I've enjoyed it with all its sadness and with all its burdens, so long as I had the feeling that I was serving the people of Jordan and was able to contribute towards a better future for them.

[Jane Wilkinson]

King Hussein died at the age of 63 and his funeral was attended by over 60 heads of state and government leaders, some sworn enemies of each other. He was succeeded by his son, Abdullah ii. Witness History was produced and presented by me, Jane Wilkinson, using BBC Archive. And if you want more royal stories, why not search for the Spanish king who reclaimed his throne, the episode on Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal and televising the Queen's coronation. Then tell your friends and remember, hit subscribe wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Thanks loads and bye for now. From the brilliant and bizarre. It was really surreal. It was a surreal kind of atmosphere there.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

You couldn't really see anybody.

[Jane Wilkinson]

To the shocking and unexpected.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

I'm just wondering, what are we going to do now? This was really my worst fear. He found 100% horse meat that was labeled as beef.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Witness the stories that have shaped our world, told by the people who were there.

[King Hussein of Jordan]

When he went to the factory, the

[Jane Wilkinson]

poodle went in front of him, so

[King Hussein of Jordan]

the workers only oh, the boss is here.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

Many people had many things to lose by our victory. The future was not so bright.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Witness History.

[BBC Interviewer / Narrator]

We had a designer, he bought in a fully storyboarded idea about how the Queen would arrive by jumping out of a helicopter and we all said, that's brilliant, but it's never going to happen.

[Jane Wilkinson]

Witness history@BBC worldservice.com witness history or wherever you get your podcasts.