The current King of Jordan, Oxford-educated Abdullah, is not American-born Queen Noor's (nee Lisa Halaby) son, but that of one of other wives.
Interesting summary of Jordan's role in Middle East politics (excerpts below):
https://www.albawaba.com/news/syria-and-gruelling-test-jordans-diplomacy-1117934
Jordan’s foreign policy is that of the perpetual strategist. It is acutely aware of its own limitations, and it manages those limitations through preserving careful diplomatic relations as far as it possibly can. The Hashemite Kingdom is a case in point that diplomacy can not only maintain a nation’s security, but even allow it to wield a disproportionately large degree of influence to its size and GDP.
However, the Syrian conflict has put Jordan’s diplomatic skills to a grueling test, and it remains to be seen whether that strategy will work forever. This is particularly questionable now that the west has shown it is willing to strike Assad when it comes to chemical weapons. As a reliable western ally, but one that must also remain on good terms with Damascus if it is to survive itself, Jordan’s ability to independently hedge its allegiances is going to be stretched further than ever…
Dr. Alia Al-Kadi, a Middle East analyst and expert in Jordanian politics, told Al Bawaba:
“Jordan’s national security is imperative and informs its policy towards Syria. The Kingdom finds itself in the crosshairs of an international power struggle, however, and must play a delicate diplomatic hand. Amman has sought to encourage a political solution to the Syrian crisis, emphasising the need to reach a peaceful settlement that can end the hostilities and civil war that has devastated much of Syria. The repercussions of the Syrian crisis has left Jordan to deal with two key issues: the northern border, 365 km of which it shares with Syria, and that of the influx of Syrian refugees.”…
Amman was key to getting America and Russia to work together, and the three countries created a tripartite de-escalation zone in Deraa and Quneitra provinces on the Jordanian border. The spirit of the agreement has held and been expanded upon, with a Memorandum of Principles to protect the ceasefire signed by the U.S., Russia and Jordan in November 2017. However, there are still concerns about the activity of Shia militias in the area, concerns shared by neighboring military power Israel….
If, as is looking likely, Assad remains in power, Jordan will do its best to smooth things over for the sake of stability. But the volley of airstrikes from the US, the UK and France on April 14th may complicate Amman’s tactical amelioration. In the aftermath of the strikes, Jordan sought to distance itself from their conduct, and to emphasise its relative neutrality. His Majesty King Abdullah was reportedly on the phone to British Prime Minister Theresa May on the day of the strikes, and he insisted that a political solution must be reached….
For now, it is unlikely that either Moscow or Damascus will force Amman to choose a side, and the same is true of America and invested European states. Jordan’s role as a relatively neutral arbitrator remains useful to both sides for now. For its own stability, Jordanians can only hope that remains the case.