ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Mexican-Kurdish TV personality and philanthropist has told Rudaw of her "pride" to be joining the British Royal Family following her engagement to a young royal.



Hanna Jaff is a TV personality, philanthropist, author and activist who became well-known when she starred in Netflix’s reality show ‘Made in Mexico.’



She hit the headlines in January 2020 when she got engaged to 34-year-old Henry Roper-Curzon, cousin of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, after four months of dating. Their wedding is scheduled to take place in July.



Born in San Diego, California in 1986, she is a Mexican national and grew up in Tijuana, Baja California.Her father is from the Jaff tribe, one of the famous tribes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.





A graduate of Harvard University, she now works for the Jaff Foundation, which provides aid to refugees, displaced people and immigrants in 20 countries across the globe.



In a Rudaw interview on March 9, Jaff revealed many aspects of her relationship with Henry, and their connection to Kurdistan.



“I’m very proud and honored that I will join a culture and a family, a very old history which is the United Kingdom. I am very fortunate because I am marring Henry,” she said.



Jaff described the Royal family as “very kind” with traditional family values – “the same as Kurdish families.”

The couple will be wed in London, followed by a three-day celebration in Mexico City, Jaff told Rudaw.

Jaff also spoke of her fiance’s interest in Kurdistan and Kurdish culture.

“He is very interested and he has a very very large respect for Kurdistan and for the Kurdish people. He always says the Kurdish people are warriors. He talked a lot with my father about the Jaff tribes and so is interested in knowing more. He always tells me he wants to visit and in the wedding he wants to have the Kurdish music and food. He is very proud.”



“Kurdistan is always in my heart and I think everybody that know me, knows that I have Kurdish roots,” she added.