The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly been overlooked by Jordan’s King and Crown Prince during their brief, unofficial tour of the Middle East.

Harry and Meghan touched down in Amman late Tuesday evening and quickly embarked on a series of humanitarian engagements with local charities, creating numerous photo opportunities in the process.

One notable event took place at the British Ambassador’s residence, involving officials from the World Health Organization and Embassy staff, which has faced criticism for being deemed ‘entirely inappropriate’ by some commentators.

According to royal insiders, the couple’s high-profile visit to Jordan has caused embarrassment for King Charles III, especially as it follows closely after their other ‘worthy’ trips to Nigeria and Colombia.

King Abdullah II of Jordan shares strong ties with the British Royal Family and has a close relationship with King Charles, highlighted by their warm meeting during an official visit to London last year.

Such is the strength of their bond that King Abdullah and Queen Rania were distinguished guests at the recent coronation, and Queen Rania has also engaged with Queen Camilla in discussions on women’s issues.

Their son Crown Prince Hussein is also friends with Prince William, spending time together in recent years in Britain and Jordan, from watching the football together to a joint visit to a RAF base.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also attended Hussein’s wedding in 2023.

But despite Harry and Meghan being in Amman, a source in Jordan told the Daily Mail: ‘There is no meeting scheduled between the Duke and Duchess [of Sussex] and the Jordanian Royal Family.’ 

The only member of the Jordanian Royal Family Harry and Meghan met briefly was Princess Basma Bint Talal, an aunt of the current King during a visit to a venture run by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been on a two-day trip to Jordan (pictured yesterday) but were not scheduled to see the King or Crown Prince

The Duchess of Sussex visits the National Centre for Rehabilitation of Addicts in Amman today

Meghan and Harry wore muted colours on the second and final day of their trip to Jordan

Indeed, King Abdullah appears to have deliberately swerved any public meeting with the California based couple – instead choosing to meet Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

While in another seemingly apparent rebuff, King Abdullah met the head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is leading the Duke and Duchess trip to Jordan.

Official photographs showed King Abdullah at talks with the WHO chief as well as a sizeable party of delegates but Meghan and Harry were nowhere to be seen.

This is despite the Sussexes’ own charity Archewell Philanthropies partnering with the WHO. 

The King and Crown Prince also met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Amman yesterday.

The current Jordanian king’s late father King Hussein, who died in 1999, was also on excellent terms with Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles highlighted this on a previous visit to Amman in 2013.

He said:’ I feel this friendship in the most personal of ways, as Jordan has always been part of my life.

‘His Majesty King Hussein came to the throne in 1952, the same years as my dear mother, the Queen.

‘They would be of great mutual support to each other through the decades ahead.’

King Abdullah was educated in Britain, served with the British army after graduating from Sandhurst Military Academy.

Another source in Jordan told the Daily Mail: ‘The fact the Duke and Duchess of Sussex haven’t met King Abdullah and been given the traditional royal welcome is glaringly obvious.

‘There has been no red carpet treatment, even though King Abdullah has met officials from the World Health Origination have been behind this visit by the Duke and Duchess

‘It’s well known that King Abdullah and King Charles have a very warm relationship and that was passed down through the friendship between the late Queen Elizabeth and King Abdullah’s father.’

A third royal insider said Harry and Meghan may be disappointed not to have been able to meet the King or Crown Prince of Jordan.

‘It’s a pseudo royal visit, mimicking many of the things they or William and Kate would have done when they were part of the Firm but it seems to be lacking in the ceremonial side of things’, the source said.

Queen Rania at the Al Husseiniya Palace, in Amman, this week for the arrival of the Albanian President and First Lady

On whether the tensions between the Sussexes and Windsors have played a part, a third source added: ‘William’s certainly close to the Crown Prince.

‘They watched England beat Panama in a World Cup game together on TV in the Crown Prince’s “man cave” in the basement of the King and Queen’s palace in Amman in 2018.

‘William and Kate went to the Crown Prince’s wedding to Rajwa in June 2023. In October last year William and the Crown Prince went on a joint visit to RAF Benson.

‘Charles and the King are also pretty close.

‘Is it a snub? Harry and Meghan have met heads of state or other dignitaries on previous trips so you might expect it on this one’.

But the insider said it may never be known if this was a deliberate snub or a diary clash, for example.

However, Harry and Meghan were met by British diplomats in Amman, it has emerged.

Former Tory minister Tim Loughton, who is vying to be mayor of the couple’s ceremonial county of Sussex in May, told the Daily Mail that it was ‘entirely inappropriate’ that the couple were hosted by the British Ambassador.

He said it was baffling that Phillip Hall had rolled out the red carpet for him at his private residence given the couple claim to be private citizens and have quit royal duties.

Mr Hall had personally thanked the couple for coming to Jordan in his speech at an round table also involving the UN and World Health Organisation.

‘They are not working royals and do not represent the British Government or UK PLC. Given their capacity to say unhelpful things which border on political, giving them an official platform could be construed as them saying something that represents official UK policy’, Mr Loughton told the Daily Mail.

‘It would be legitimate for the embassy to assist on security issues and neutral briefing but not anything that platforms them on what should clearly be seen as a private visit by private individuals’.

King Charles III with King Abdullah II of Jordan at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, as the Jordanian monarch marked the year of his silver jubilee in 2024

Prince William and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein watch England’s World Cup match against Panama at Beit Al Urdun Palace in Amman on June 25, 2018

One royal insider said that the involvement of the British Ambassador is an ‘intriguing’ part of the trip.

They said: ‘Once again British diplomats are involved. Quite why they have been there to welcome two private individuals is unclear to me.

‘Perhaps there’s frustration at the Foreign Office at the lack of overseas visits by some members of the family and they see this as a chance to get the UK viewpoint over and showcase what Britain is doing in the region’.