At the centre of the storm is Hussein's brother, 51-year-old Prince Hassan, who had been groomed as the royal heir for more than three decades. Then a quarrel over succession left Prince Hassan out in the cold last month when the ailing King Hussein picked his son, Abdallah, to take the throne after his death.

After Hussein died Sunday and King Abdallah took power, the family publicly united for the funeral.

But King Hassan's decision to stay away from the greeting ceremony yesterday could show cracks emerging. This has some people nervous after 46 years of steadfast rule under King Hussein.

``There is no room for any family rift because that will imperil national security and disturb the personal interests of the royal family,'' said former cabinet ministerJamal Shaer.

There is little chance of serious challenges since the military is loyal to King abdallah, 37, a career officer. Yet Jordanians grow quickly uneasy over any royal discord in their tiny desert kingdom with an unmatched record of stability in the volatile middle east.

``The monarchy here allows for one head of state, not two,'' said political analyst Labib Kamhawi. Hassan's options are simple and clear: ``Either to stay in the country quietly or leave.''

Prince Hassan's world came crashing down in the span of a few hours on January 26. King Hussein sent Prince Hassan an angry letter of dismissal, accusing him of power grabbing and fabricating ``lies and gossip'' on his family.

Palace sources said Hussein was referring to false allegations his wife, Queen Noor, had an out-of-wedlock child before marriage and that she was manoeuvring to have her son, Hamzeh, replace Prince Hassan as the crown prince as he ultimately did.

At King Hussein's funeral on Monday, Prince Hassan and his 19-year-oldson Rashid were virtually the only immediate members of the family who did not wear the traditional mourning headdress.

Prince Hassan stood silently, staring at the ceiling of the ornate throne chamber in Raghdan palace, as other members of the family tearfully shook hands with heads of state and dignitaries paying respects.

Prince Hassan's Pakistani-born wife, Princess Sarvath, and their three daughters were not present at the funeral. Prince Hassan's daughters did not visit their uncle the king in his sickbed at an Amman hospital in his last days, when all the other royal family members were in constant attendance.A palace source, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said it has been a `most strenuous time'' for Prince Hassan because of the loss of his brother and ``the swift changes that ensued.''

Recently, rumours mounted that Prince Hassan will go into self-exile in London like his uncle, Prince Nayef Bin Abdallah, who fled to Spain one year after King Hussein ascended to the throne,depriving him of the crown.But Prince Hassan's aides say there is ``nothing in cards now'' for any stay abroad.

In an emotional letter to king abdallah read last night on Jordan Television, Prince Hassan pledged his support for the king and his crown prince. ``I vow in front of god, the nation, and our great people to support you and be a brother to your majesty and your crown prince,'' Prince Hassan wrote.

There have been suggestions that King Abdallah who was sworn in as king only three hours after King Hussein's death would appoint Prince Hassan as a chief adviser to primarily oversee economic development in Jordan. But it was not clear if Prince Hassan would accept a post that would require working under his nephew, 18-year-old Prince Hamzeh. An indication of the problems to come.