King Abdullah II
King Abdullah IIReuters

Jordan's Prince Hamzah on Monday pledged loyalty to King Abdullah II as the monarch accepted mediation over a rift within the royal family that saw the prince placed under house arrest, the palace said, according to AFP.

The Jordanian government has accused Hamzah, an ex-crown prince and half-brother of King Abdullah II, of a "wicked" plot and involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilize the kingdom's security".

Hamzah, who was detained along with at least 16 others, had earlier struck a defiant tone saying he had been placed under house arrest inside his Amman palace, but insisting he would not obey orders restricting his movement.

On Monday, however, the 41-year-old prince pledged his backing to King Abdullah.

"I will remain... faithful to the legacy of my ancestors, walking on their path, loyal to their path and their message and to His Majesty," he said in a signed letter, quoted by the palace.

"I will always be ready to help and support His Majesty the King and his Crown Prince," he was quoted as writing.

Hamzah -- whom Abdullah stripped of the title of crown prince in 2004 -- has emerged as a vocal critic, accusing Jordan's leadership of corruption, nepotism and authoritarian rule.

In a video he sent to the BBC on Saturday, he lashed out at "incompetence that has been prevalent in our governing structure for the last 15 to 20 years and has been getting worse".

"No-one is able to speak or express opinion on anything without being bullied, arrested, harassed and threatened," he charged.

The Guardian reported that following Saturday's attempted coup against King Abdullah II, roads to Hamzah’s palace were blocked with security services patrolling entrances to the capital city of Amman.