As Hussein's eldest son, Abdullah became heir apparent to the Jordanian throne under the 1952 constitution.[1][9] Due to political instability, King Hussein thought it wise to appoint an adult heir instead, choosing Abdullah's uncle Prince Hassan in 1965.[10][11] Abdullah began his schooling in 1966 at the Islamic Educational College in Amman, and continued at St Edmund's School in England. He attended high school at Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the United States of America.[5]