Right about the time that my EK 700 jet is winging its way from Mumbai to Amman in Jordan, for an interview with Her Majesty, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, the young queen is on a tour of the Jordan River Foundation's Queen Rania Family and Child Centre, on World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Accompanied by Urmila Nandey Nathan, First Lady of Singapore, she toured this facility which, together with India's Tulir Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, received the 2006 Prevention of Child Abuse Prize by the Geneva-based Women's World Summit Foundation. Jordan's hands-on monarch was not on an unusual mission, at all. She was merely playing out her self-appointed role of benefactor to the downtrodden, the weaker sections of society and the nongovernmental sector.

I, of course, was unaware of the royal schedule as I landed on a chilly afternoon in the Jordanian capital. This bit of news arrived early the next morning on a silver salver in the form of The Jordan Times placed next to my cup of steaming hot tea in a classic Rosenthal white-and-gold teacup embossed with the royal crest, as I awaited my call to interview, in a room that spelt modern Scandinavian meets contemporary Oriental. Clean white interiors, polished marble flooring with uncluttered mosaic touches, innately comfortable white and black sofas, a table covered in black leather, balanced great wooden doors inlaid with brass and amazingly high ceilings. Earlier, an official car had swept me clean across the desert city, up a sloping hill affording a fabulous city view, past guards in full regalia and to this complex of office buildings constructed in the ubiquitous and beautiful white desert stone of the area, seemingly fortressed behind a wall of stone. With poetic dichotomy, almost, the interiors are modern, simplistic, minimalistic and impactful with miniature orange trees and white daisies nodding in the bright sun, in courtyards of paved stone.

In these, her personal offices, the queen has surrounded herself, (making a socio-statement of sorts?) with smart young women, impeccably dressed in dark business skirts and power trouser suits, destroying every stereotype and preconceived notion that I may have formed of the Arab woman. (I am immediately at home in my Narendra Kumar black linen suit that provides fit and comfort.) The Arab woman, I perceive, is not as oppressed as one may have imagined, though she may not be quite where she wants to be. Here in Amman, more women are entering the workplace and it is likely that, mainly due to the influence of their queen, a new generation of forward thinking women may take the area by storm.

An observation made by Lama Nabulsi, director of media and communications, stays with me for days after: "Here I am balancing a job and one son and Her Majesty has four children and helps the entire country. I don't know how she does it. She certainly is a role model for Jordanian women." Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, in the process of breaking most stereotypes, has cast herself in a mould that has captured the fancy and imagination of the world. This is a modern monarch, an icon of contemporary style and a committed woman and mother, I am to discover.

During a quick cab ride across town, the Palestinian driver who sports an impressive scar across his face, informs me that the people love Queen Rania as much as the beloved Queen Noor. He divulges that the people of Jordan can meet anytime with King Abdullah II, with an appointment, if they have a grievance. "I met him just last week," he maintains, to make a point. Though there will invariably be dissenters who will not approve of Rania's unconventional views. I am told that she sweeps regularly through the city without much ado in her car with one pilot car following. There is perhaps a sense of identification since she comes from the people. Her father, a Palestinian, fled the West Bank town of Tulkarm when Israel captured the territory in 1967. She was born in Kuwait, August 31, 1970, to a notable Jordanian family of Palestinian origin. She studied at the New English School in Kuwait City and then at the American University in Cairo where she graduated with a business degree. A brief stint with Citibank was followed by a marketing position with Apple Computers when a chance outing with a co-worker led her to a dinner party hosted by Prince Abdullah's sister, where she met the prince and in a fairy-tale romance was married just five months later.

The young Rania never expected to be queen and discovered herself in this difficult position when King Hussein, Prince Abdullah's father, unexpectedly named his son his successor in 1999. Since then, the adventitious sovereign, taking her role extremely seriously, has pushed for a progressive and enlightened social agenda, creating child abuse centres, fighting to end controversial 'honour killings' (murders committed by men to avenge their sisters or daughters for bringing dishonour to the family), working diligently towards education reform and creating the micro fund movement providing financial assistance to small time entrepreneurs. "I grew up in a very close-knit and supportive family, very caring and attentive...I think this kind of normal upbringing really equipped me to deal with the role I deal with today," she reminisces. "Sometimes I think that the best preparation for being in a position like this is no preparation at all because it enables you to see things the way they are."

And all this, may I add, with supermodel finesse and stylish grace so that obvious comparisons have often been made between her and the late Princess Diana. Rania was thrust, unknowingly, into the public consciousness initially on the Oprah Winfrey show when she stood for moderation and peace in a fragmenting world, after 9/11. She was the voice of reason in a universe being torn asunder. Her role then was that of wooing a frightened US out of its brand new fear. "I found myself naturally having to do what I had to do - it was a response to the circumstances and the environment, rather than something I set out to do," she tells me later.

Most recently, Time magazine put her on their list of '60 Years of Heroes', establishing her voice as one that will be heard in the modern world. Hello readers chose her as the 'Most Elegant Woman' in 2003, Harpers & Queen put her on their 'Most Beautiful Women in the World' list in 2005. Esquire, lately, added her to their 'Women We Love' annual listing. She has been elegantly present these last couple of years, at the glittering World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, blending easily with intellectuals, policy makers and stars, alike. Superstar Italian designer, Giorgio Armani, has famously been quoted as saying: "She has the body of a model and holds herself like the queen she is - what more could you want?" Armani's 'muse' went on to prove herself individualistic and sovereign in her own style agenda. Images of the lissome figure in designer gowns with touches of local embellishment, like a belt or sash, are today part of the archives of stylish wear.

The queen that I am meeting now is tall, fairy-tale beautiful and encompasses me immediately in her comfort zone. She informally uses my first name and divulges that she has many friends who are called 'Shirin', a popular Arab name. I am charmed completely. She draws attention like a magnet, merely by her royal bearing, and I forget to look around the room, except at the flag of Jordan that is prominently in the background. She wears a soft white coat belted over a slim waist, atop a black, high-necked sweater and classic tweed trousers. British country or haute couture, I find myself wondering. Stylish and irrepressibly outspoken, Rania certainly does not fit into the stereotype of a tiara-wielding monarch but rather the mould of a committed, contemporary young woman. I recall, even as she shakes my hand warmly, that the story goes that the youngest queen in the world had borrowed her coronation tiara, rather than acquiring one. Her personal style, I notice, is sparse almost, mono-hued, slim-belted and clean silhouetted. And democratic, I decide, as we parlay informally, seated on a sofa rather than in a behind-the-desk situation.

She is candid and if some of what she says seems like oft-repeated rhetoric, it is because she has been pushed, unsolicited, into a certain public role. Yet, this mother of four (Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem) declares herself in her dulcet, perfectly modulated tones, a woman of the world, a mother first and foremost and, dare I say this, more woman than queen....

I don't think of myself as a queen...

What brings you back to India?
When I visited in March (2006), I just loved it so much. I enjoyed being there, I enjoyed the people. India is the kind of place that you want to keep going back to. And we hope this will signal the opening of a new page of the relationship between India and Jordan. We are natural partners in terms of the direction that we choose for our people, the way we think, the way we do things. This will hopefully open the door for areas of cooperation at the public level, in private sector and with nongovernmental organisations.

Has anything concrete emerged from your India visit?
We have not even started to tap into the potential. You have made great strides in terms of your IT sector and we've been trying to develop and encourage that here. For some IT companies here, there is a lot to be done. We've also focused on education extensively; you've made great strides and there are many areas which we can explore to develop that. In the private sector and on the political level, there is a lot that we can do together. We are on the same sheet of music in terms of what we want for our people: we hope to bring harmony and balance between our traditions as well as embracing modernity and globalisation to fight extremism. We both want to take our youth into the 21st century equipped with education and skills. We are natural partners because we speak the same language. We have to take this language and turn it into something concrete.

On your visit to India last year, you visited NGOs in the Delhi slums?
It was fantastic. It took me to areas that I would not have gone to otherwise. The beauty of this interaction is you really get to meet people from all walks of life and get the full spectrum of what the Indian culture and people are all about.

How familiar are you with Indian designers?
I have not been aware of Indian designers, but I know that there is quite a lot of creativity there. This is something I would like to get to know. The workmanship is to be envied. I feel that the artisans really put their heart and soul and time in producing and that is something to treasure in our fast paced world.

What in your growing up years prepared you to take centre stage and be queen?
I grew up always liking to take up challenges. I went to a very international school. We had students from over 70 countries and this multicultural environment really shaped the way I am today and the way that I view the world - especially in today's world where there is so much tension between different peoples and cultures, where societies have really changed in the last five to 10 years, where there is so much diversity of nationality, religion and history. Unfortunately, this diversity, this social metamorphism that we're going through, has caused some tensions and that is a result of our lack of ability to understand that these differences can actually be enriching. If we focus on our similarities and take the differences for what they are, then that could add a lot of dimension to our life. That is the kind of upbringing that really helped me to see the world as I do today-to look at others, even if they look different, dress different, worship different, as my brothers and sisters.

Coming out on so many platforms, like the Davos World Economic Forum or the India Today Conclave, do you see yourself as a messenger of the Arab World, a voice of moderation?
I refuse to self-appoint myself or to assign titles. I think that this was just a role that emerged naturally out of the circumstances and environment that we live in today where the world is facing threats from extremists, in all religions. In light of that, there have been growing tensions whose roots are more in politics than religion. I felt it was my duty to bring that to people's attention and show that these religions all adhere to similar values and principles of tolerance and peace, acceptance and kindness. We have to deal with the issues behind these tensions and they are invariably related to politics, poverty, lack of integration, lack of hope and opportunity. At the end of the day, it is lack of hope - for whatever reason.

What is it that has made the world sit up and take notice of you?
Although there are people who agree with how I feel, there are those who disagree and that is a natural part of being in the public eye. As long as one has clear vision and strong faith in what they're doing and saying and knowing that you're doing this for the betterment of others, then I think you have to be steadfast and determined.

What has been your reaction to India and Indian women?
The country embraces you in beauty, culture, atmosphere, people, hospitality…. There's a diverse spectrum of women. I met all types, women who were extremely well educated, very strong, professional, and progressive. I met some who were more traditional. All demonstrate determination and kindness.
Women all over the world face similar challenges and you find gender inequality everywhere although it sometimes manifests itself in different ways. In some countries women are deprived of basic rights; in other countries it's a bit more at the higher level. But all in all, women do have to work harder to prove themselves.

You once said that being a queen is overrated. Do you feel that still?
Being queen is very much a perception from outside. I don't think of myself as a queen. It is a position, almost a job title which entails several duties and responsibilities and I just try to do my best to fulfill those in the best way I can. It can be hard, but there's a great amount of opportunity in terms of making a difference and anyone who has that opportunity should take it very seriously.

How do you balance your duties and your family?
It is very difficult. It is difficult even within the family - balancing between the four children - where I feel sometimes that I spend too much time with one child or the other. So it's just a constant struggle and I think guilt becomes your lifelong partner in this because you always feel guilty whether it's towards your work or your family or your duties. But, you can lessen it by accepting that you can't do everything for everyone. 'Prioritise and compromise' is the best way to deal with it. In my 20s, I wanted to do everything and be there for everyone. Now I'm a little bit kinder to myself. You have to accept that there will be compromises and be flexible.

How do you manage to always look fantastic and in the height of current fashion?
Again, this is something that I have grown into. In your 20s, you struggle to identify your look and style. And as this evolves with time, you get comfortable with a style that does not fight with you but enhances you. You become more comfortable in your own skin in your 30s and so you are comfortable in your clothes. I know a certain look works for me and I am comfortable with that and stick to it.

You have some favourite designers?
There are quite a few. Burberry is one of the ones I really like. Chloé is very good....

Do you have a style team that works with your look?
No, not at all. I choose my own clothes while my personal assistant helps me coordinate the purchases. If I had a team, it would be less about me and more about what this group of people thinks that I should look like. This is much too personal a matter.

What are your style fetishes?
I am really into lounge clothes these days. I just want to come home, slip into a pair of track pants and be comfortable.

What do you do together as a family?
We watch movies a lot. We like to cook together - the children love that - we go for walks, go to restaurants. A lot of times we're in our house in Aqaba, which is by the beach, so we enjoy going for a boat ride or fishing.

What do you do when you want to be by yourself?
Driving and being alone in the car…I put on some music and this, for me, is one of the best ways to unwind. I enjoy a combination of music - there's a lot of Arabic music out there that's great…I also have some CDs of Indian music.

Have you watched any of Bollywood's famous movies?
I've watched quite a few. My favourite movie this year is an Indian movie, Water, which is an amazing and powerful film about widows in India. It's not a Bollywood movie but it is an 'Indian' one.
Indian cuisine, by the way, is my favourite at the moment. We have tried cooking it and have visited many Indian restaurants. Even Indian fusion food is great, but there's nothing like traditional Indian food when you want to hit the spot.

What is the most difficult thing that you have to do in your life?
The most difficult thing is leaving my children when I have to travel. I can't get used to that and I find myself stressed out before every visit.

Do you maintain a fitness regime?
Actually, today is the first day that I have my cast off since I had broken my foot! I don't have a regime because I think when you say 'fitness regime' you want to escape from it. I try to keep it flexible and do things I enjoy like jogging, cycling, or swimming. And sometimes I just do nothing - it is important to respond to the needs of your body.

You have met with Mrs Sonia Gandhi. How did you relate to her?
She is an incredible lady - inspirational, charismatic and the kind of person that you can really talk to for a long period of time.