(Though we could easily have picked 100).
We can often be found talking about HM Queen Rania al Abdullah here at Emirates Woman, breaking down everything from her latest ensembles to her most recent speeches.
And while we often celebrate the royal as one of the region’s leading style stars, it should go without saying (though we’re saying it anyway) that she’s a shining beacon of hope, humanity and philanthropy in the Arab world.
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From empowering the women of Jordan to start their own businesses to speaking up for refugees’ rights, the royal can often be relied upon for a wise word or insightful observation.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite soundbites from Her Majesty, discussing everything from her aims as a mother to her hopes for the region.
Trust us, there’s so much food for thought here…
On instilling a work ethic in her children
“When my son [Crown Prince Hussein] asks for something, he doesn’t automatically get it. He has to work for it and he may not get it at all,” Queen Rania said in a 2006 interview with Ophrah Winfrey.
“He has to tidy his room and he has to get good grades and he has to demonstrate that he’s behaving well and he’s earned it.”
On raising Prince Hussein to be king one day, the royal added: “The most important thing is to instill him with the right values.
“I just feel that values are the shield that you carry with you throughout life and it protects you from whatever life throws at you.”
On innovation
“Innovation means possibilities are infinite. Innovation breaks moulds not limited by opinions or agendas,” Queen Rania told the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai in 2016.
“If you empower a woman, you empower a whole society.”
On her hopes for the region
“It’s time for us to get off this destructive arc of crisis and conflict that we’re on, and to really start thinking differently, in our region and towards our region,” HM told CNBC this year.
“You know, a kind of thinking where you define winning as closing that human dignity deficit. Where you measure success by the number of jobs created, opportunity, productive innovations. Not political influence.
“So, when I look at my region, I feel hopeful not for what is, but for what can be, if we take the right policies, and we adopt a different mentality.”
On teachers
“Every day, teachers take their place at the front of the classroom to inspire our children and instill in them a love of learning.
“I salute all teachers for their dedication and determination.”
On her role as a royal
“It has nothing to do with crowns, carriages or castles… I made a commitment to the people of Jordan to serve them to the best of my ability, and I try to live up to that commitment every day,” she told Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph in 2016.
On her favourite holiday
“In London, my family and I can just be ourselves: meander through parks eating ice cream, browse the galleries, ride bikes and feed ducks, see shows. I come home so tired I need a holiday!” she told Conde Nast Traveler in 2008.
On balancing her career with her family
“I encourage women to balance both a home life and a career. As someone who juggles those tricky balls, I can tell you it isn’t easy, but it is possible and it is very rewarding. I am proud that Jordan frequently serves as a model for positive change in the region,” HM added to Conde Nast Traveler.
“Girls actually outnumber boys at university. Our challenge is getting these women into the labour force after university and keeping them there.”
On leading change
“One of the ways each of you can help is by challenging preconceptions. Resist the easy stereotypes attached to Arab women: pitied as helpless and submissive on the one hand, labelled as threats on the other,” the royal said while accepting a Global Trailblazer Award in 2017.
“For me, as a woman, an Arab, and a Muslim, I take this issue personally.”
On girls living in conflict zones
“What gives me hope is that – despite the traumas they’ve been through – so many girls in my region refuse to let conflict define their lives. Rather, they defy it. With guts and grit. They don’t want our pity; but they deserve our admiration – and they need our support,” Queen Rania said at the Let Girls Learn initiative in the US in 2016.
“Because out of the ashes of conflict, many of our brave girls are rising. They’re not giving up. They’re not giving in. They’re reaching for the stars – and they’re pulling others up.”
On meeting King Abdullah II
“We met at a dinner with mutual friends of ours, back in early 1993. He had such a great smile and such infectious energy, we got on really well. And the rest, as they say, is history!”
Images: HM Queen Rania/Instagram, Getty
