Jordan Crowns Abdullah
It was a day of pomp in Amman, and the circumstance for Jordan's new king seems to be improving as well, reports CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips.
Thousands of Jordanians thronged Amman's streets Wednesday to celebrate King Abdullah II's official accession to the throne he inherited four months ago from his late father, King Hussein.
Abdullah, 37, dressed in a ceremonial military suit draped with golden decorations, waved to his cheering subjects from the back of a convertible beige Buick that was part of his father's collection. At his side was his 28-year-old wife, Queen Rania, wearing a long golden dress and a $2 million gem-covered crown that belonged to Hussein's late wife, Queen Alia.
A motorcade of 20 red jeeps and motorcycles trailed the royal couple, whose vehicle was often mobbed by crowds tossing flowers, clapping, ululating and chanting "Long live Abdullah" along the 12-mile route.
At Amman's hilltop Raghadan Palace, Abdullah inspected an honor guard before presiding over a gala reception of 800 dignitaries and representatives of ruling Gulf Arab countries.
In the palace's ornate Throne Chamber, the king bestowed upon Rania the prestigious Hussein Ben Ali decoration to reward her for her social activities since becoming queen two months ago.
A tearful Rania kissed Abdullah as she accepted the $200,000 gold medal, decorated with diamonds, which is usually awarded to heads of state.
The king also adopted the name "Abdullah II" - a sequence begun by his great-grandfather, the founder of Jordan, Abdullah I.
Wednesday's event, dubbed Throne Day, was the first celebration of its kind in Jordan. Information Minister Nasser Lawzi said the celebration was not a coronation, but a symbolic event to designate a new date for Abdullah's accession to the throne, separating it from Hussein's death anniversary.
The cheering crowds were a testament to the new king's popularity and to the fact that he and Queen Rania have had a political honeymoon that would make any politician envious.
When King Hussein died last February, many wondered why he had chosen his largely inexperienced 37-year-old son to succeed him. Now the choice seems wise.
Abdullah arrived without any baggage, enemies or political debts, and with a wife of Palestinian heritage who has made the royal couple popular with both major segments of Jordan's population.
His recent tour of major world capitals reaffirmed Jordan's status as a friend of the West and has provided some relief for Jordan's debt. And his clean political slate has allowed him to promote the peace agenda.
There were fears when King Hussein died that a force for moderation, peace and stability in the Middle East had died with him. But on Wednesday, riding in the back of one of his father's old convertibles, Hussein's son Abdullah confirmed that the force lives on.