Such words could have come straight from the mouth of the King himselfa former major general in the Jordanian army.
Queen Rania consoled the grieving wife of the pilot who was burned alive in a cage. The Queen, a mother of four, took to the streets of Amman with thousands of Jordanians to honor al-Kasasbeh and condemn his killers.
The calm but defiant throngs waved signs saying: “Moath, the martyr of justice.”
They chanted: “Long live the King.”
Here are five things to know about the royals and the ramifications of Jordan’s war on ISIS:
Who is King Abdullah II?
The opening line of the King’s official profile lays out his place in the Hashemite dynasty as the “41st-generation direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.”
He inherited the Hashemite crown in February 1999 following the death of King Hussein. The dynasty has held power in Jordan since 1921.
Abdullah, 53, was a political unknown who was catapulted into the limelight when his father, before he died, pushed aside the crown prince, Abdullah’s uncle Hassan, as heir to the throne.
The son of King Hussein’s second wife, the British Princess Mona, Abdullah headed Jordan’s special forces, a critical position in a country where the army is one of the throne’s important pillars.
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Will the warrior king participate in airstrikes?
A photo of King Abdullah II in a pilot’s uniform and black gloves was posted Tuesday on the Facebook page of The Royal Hashemite Court, leading some people to speculate that he would personally participate in the ISIS airstrikes.
The caption: “His Majesty King Abdullah II, The Supreme Commander of Jordanian Armed Forces, cuts short his visit to the United States of America after the martyrdom of Muath Al Kasasbeh.”
The post has more than 30,000 “Likes” and has been shared more than 3,000 times.
“Love and Support from MN-USA,” one man wrote. “Thank you for showing the world that there are still leaders out there that care for their citizens, Your Highness.”
“Much respect your Highness,” wrote another, “give it to them good.”
In many comments, Abdullah was referred to as “The Warrior King.”
On Twitter, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Peter Lerner wrote: “King #Abdullah of #Jordan is a total badass.”
The Jordanian government, however, later said that the so-called warrior king would not be participating in the airstrikes.
