King Abdullah II sends letter to Jordanian people after thwarted "painful sedition" by brother Hamzah

King Abdullah II of Jordan has sent a letter to the people of his country to address the recent unsuccessful attempt to destabilise the palace, which led to the house arrest of his half-brother, Prince Hamzah.

The monarch released the letter on Wednesday, informing the public that his rift with his brother is over, while an investigation is underway into the "painful" potential coup that was carried out on April 3. Hamzah, who was appointed Crown Prince by Abdullah in 1999 only to be stripped of the title in 2004, was placed under house arrest, leading to the biggest crisis in the Jordanian royal family.

The former Crown Prince released a video via his attorney that night denying any wrongdoing and being a part of any conspiracy. He also signed a letter two days later to pledge his allegiance to the King.

King Abdullah has now broken his silence about the crisis, assuring the citizens of his nations that "Jordan is safe and stable." He wrote: "The challenge over the past few days was not the most difficult or dangerous to the stability of our nation, but to me, it was the most painful," reports Royal Central.

"Sedition came from within and without our one house, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people," he added.

The 59-year-old informed the public that he has decided to deal with the sedition by his younger brother within the family, with the help of their uncle, Prince El Hassan bin Talal.

"Prince Hamzah pledged before the family to follow in the steps of the ancestors, remain loyal to their mission, and to put Jordan's interest, Constitution, and laws above all considerations. Hamzah today is with his family, at his palace, in my care," he added.

However, the other aspects of the destabilisation attempt are under investigation, in accordance with the law, and their outcomes will be handled transparently within the framework of Jordan's institutions. Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, former royal envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, former head of the Royal Household, were among the dozens of people who were detained on the day of the coup attempt due to a "threat to the country's stability."

Meanwhile, King Abdullah has received the support of US President Joe Biden after the recent unrest in his country. The two leaders had a phone conversation on Wednesday where Biden underscored the "importance of King Abdullah's leadership to the United States and the region."