Proud parents! Jordan's Queen Rania and King Abdullah attend son Prince Hussein's graduation from Georgetown University

There was plenty of pomp and circumstance when Jordan's Queen Rania and King Abdullah came to Washington, D.C. this weekend — but it wasn't for them.

The royals were in town to watch their 21-year-old son, Prince Hussein, get his college diploma from Georgetown University.

And they were more than happy to take a back seat to their child in his special moment, glowing with pride as he donned a cap and gown for the occasion. 

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Graduation day: Queen Rania and King Abdullah of Jordan attended their son's commencement this weekend

Scolar: The 21-year-old graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in international history

Special moment: His parents flew into Washington, D.C. to see him get his diploma

Beaming: The Queen said her son had taken them on 'a wonderful journey'

'A very special day when your first born is graduating from university! What a wonderful journey you have taken us on, Hussein,' the Queen, 45, wrote on her social media pages alongside an image of the trio smiling.

In the picture, the Prince stands in the middle, wearing black academic regalia over a suit. His father, 54, stands in a blue suit to his left, while Queen Rania wears a white embroidered blouse on his right.

The scholar celebrated his degree in international history and seemed to feel somewhat bittersweet about the event.

'Closing one chapter and beginning another,' he wrote on his Instagram page. 

While the Prince was only pictured with his parents on the occasion, his eldest sister, 19-year-old Princess Iman, also attends his alma mater.  

Fashionable pair: Earlier this mom, the Prince accompanied his mother to the Met Gala in New York City

Queen Rania has said it's difficult when her oldest son and daughter, Princess Iman (second from left), are away from home at school 

She said having her eldest son at home creates a whole different energy in the house 

Important future role: He will one day succeed his father as King of Jordan

Prince Hussein shared this image during a military training exercise in 2014

He has two more younger siblings as well: Princess Salma, 15, and Prince Hashem, 11.

Queen Rania has spoken in the past about how difficult it is when her children are away at school, and her excitement about having them home for breaks.

Speaking about the Prince, she told People last year: 'When he's home from college, there's just a whole different energy in the house.'  

She also praised his ability to balance having fun with his important role as heir to the throne, saying: 'He takes his responsibilities very seriously but also tries to have a good time like any young man his age would.

'His public duties as a young leader are a priority for him, but in his everyday life he goes out of his way to keep a very low profile. To his friends he just wants to be "one of the guys" — and judging from what I've seen, he really is.'  

Queen Rania has said how proud she is that her son is able to balance is duties with fun

He has had a lack of privacy while living in the spotlight but has kept out of public trouble

His mother noted that the Prince (pictured in 1999) manages to just be one of the guys with his friends 

She also explained that when he was a child, she didn't want to tell him he was destined to be King until he got older because it was too much pressure 

He also has a 15-year-old sister, Princess Salma (far left), and an 11-year-old brother, Prince Hashem (front) (pictured in 2007)

When he was younger, the fashionable royal spoke about wanting to instill this sense of normalcy in her children, as well as her particular desire to shield her son from the knowledge of his future until he was old enough to understand it.

'I think to tell a boy Hussein's age that he might become King one day is almost a form of child abuse because it is setting him up for so much pressure and expectation when he is so young and should be living a child's life,' she told Hello! when he was ten. 

'It is really important for me that he lives as normal a life as possible and that he forms normal relationships with people who will like him for himself and not for who he may or may not become.

'My husband is a good example of someone who grew up not expecting to be King - it made him a real person with whom people can relate.'