Jordan’s highly anticipated royal wedding day is now underway with the surprise announcement that Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate have arrived for the nuptials of Crown Prince Hussein and his Saudi Arabian bride. The attendance of the British royals had been kept under wraps, and was only confirmed by Jordanian state media a few hours before the start of Thursday's palace ceremony. The wedding of Jordan’s 28-year-old heir to the throne and Rajwa Alseif, a 29-year-old architect linked to her own country’s monarch, emphasizes continuity in an Arab state prized for its longstanding stability. The festivities also introduce Hussein to a wider global audience.