Queen Noor of Jordan Demanded her Gardener Grow Mangoes in Chilly England

Fascinating details of the King Canute-like demands Queen Noor of Jordan made on her former gardener have been revealed in an employment tribunal taking place today.

The gardener, Amanda Hill, 52, claims that the Queen made a series of impossible demands on her in an effort to bully and intimidate her, including the request that she grow mangoes and avocados at her Berkshire estate.Mango trees, it should be noted, typically require temperatures of around 80 degrees to produce fruit, and avocados are similarly warm-weather loving plants.

Mrs Hill, 52, told a tribunal yesterday: ‘When I pointed out that it is not possible to grow these fruits in the UK (estate manager) Mrs Migdadi informed me in a threatening manner, “Do you want to tell that to Her Majesty Queen Noor?”’

Mrs Hill claims she was called back from holiday early on another occasion because one of the queen’s daughters wanted to know the names of herbs, according to the Daily Mail.

Queen Noor was the last wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan. She was queen consort of Jordan between 1978 and 1999. Since her husband's death in 1999, she has been queen dowager of Jordan.

A United States citizen by birth, and of Syrian, English, and Swedish descent, she acquired Jordanian citizenship and renounced her American citizenship at the time of her marriage.

Jordan is currently ruled by one of King Hussein’s children from his three previous marriages, King Abdullah II, and his wife Queen Rania.

The hearing continues.