Nazli Sabri
Encyclopedia
Nazli Sabri (June 25, 1894 – May 29, 1978), was the Queen consort
of Egypt
, (May 26, 1919 – April 28, 1936) as the second wife of King Fuad
.
, by his wife, Tawfika Khanum Sharif. Queen Nazli also was the maternal granddaughter of Major-General Muhammad Sharif Pasha
, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was of Turkish
origin. She was also a great-granddaughter of the French-born officer Suleiman Pasha
.
Nazli Abdel Rehim Sabry first went to the Lycée de la Mère de Dieu School in Cairo
, and later to Notre Dame de Sion in Alexandria
.After the death of her mother, Tewfika Hanem, her father sent her and her sister to Paris
, France
for two years. After she returned, she was married by force to her paternal Turkish cousin, Khalil Sabri. After 11 months of marriage, she got divorced by force also because of her cousin's bad behavior. After her divorce, she stayed for about a month at the house of Safia Zaghloul, wife of Saad Zaghloul, where she met Saad Zaghloul's nephew, Saeed. She was engaged to Saeed until he broke up with her in his exile with his uncle. Later on 12 May, 1919, the Sultan Fuad I proposed to her, although he was twenty five years older than her. She was forced to accept because of her father's weakness against the Sultan to refuse.
, Fuad I
, at Bustan sarayi, Cairo
. She later moved to the Haramlek in the Abbasiya Palace. She was under a lot of pressure by her husband, and she was threatened that she would stay in the Haramlek if she doesn't have a son for the Sultan. And then she had their only son, Farouk I, which was the reason that made her move to Koubbeh Palace
with her husband. When Fuad's title was altered to King
, she was given the title of Queen. Then she had 4 daughters: Fawzia, Faiza, Faiqa, and Fathiya.
Confined to the palace through most of Fuad's reign, Queen Nazli was nonetheless allowed to attend opera performances, flower shows, and other ladies-only cultural events. It was said whenever the Royal couple fought, she was been slapped by the King, and was been kept in her suite for weeks. It was also said that she tried to commit suicide by taking an extra quantity of Aspirin. She also accompanied the King during part of his four-month tour of Europe
in 1927, and was much feted in France
in view of her French origins. With the introduction of parliament in 1924, the she was among the royal attendees at parliament's opening ceremony seated in a special section of the guest gallery.
in 1936, her son Farouk
became the new King of Egypt, and she became the Queen Mother
. Her brother Sherif Sabri Pasha
served on the three-member Regency Council
that was formed during Farouk's minority. In 1942 Nazli and Ahmed Hassanein Pasha
, the famous desert explorer and Chief of the Royal Cabinet, were secretly married by Sheikh Mustafa el Maraghi of the Azhar. After Hassanein's death in 1946 Nazli left Egypt and went to the United States
.
by her son on August 1, 1950 because of Princess Fathiya's marriage to Riyad Ghali
Effendi, which was a refused marriage by the King. Another reason for this action was Nazli's conversion to Catholicism, for which she took the names Mary Elizabeth. On 1976, she sent a request to President Anwar Al-Sadat to give her and her daughter Princess Fathiya Egyptian passports, and right of return to Egypt. Unfortunatlly, on the day they were leaving the United States
, her daughter was killed by her ex-husband Riyad Ghali, which was an obstacle to her return to Egypt. She eventually settled in the USA, due to her painful sickness. And on 1978, she died in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, (May 26, 1919 – April 28, 1936) as the second wife of King Fuad
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
.
Early life
She was the daughter of Abdu'r-Rahim Pasha Sabri, Minister of Agriculture and Governor of CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, by his wife, Tawfika Khanum Sharif. Queen Nazli also was the maternal granddaughter of Major-General Muhammad Sharif Pasha
Muhammad Sharif Pasha
Muhammad Sharif Pasha was an Egyptian statesman of Turkish origin. He served as Prime Minister of Egypt three times during his career. His first term was between April 7, 1879 and August 18, 1879. His second term was served from September 14, 1881 to February 4, 1882...
, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was of Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
origin. She was also a great-granddaughter of the French-born officer Suleiman Pasha
Suleiman Pasha
Suleiman Pasha was a French-born Egyptian commander...
.
Nazli Abdel Rehim Sabry first went to the Lycée de la Mère de Dieu School in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and later to Notre Dame de Sion in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.After the death of her mother, Tewfika Hanem, her father sent her and her sister to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for two years. After she returned, she was married by force to her paternal Turkish cousin, Khalil Sabri. After 11 months of marriage, she got divorced by force also because of her cousin's bad behavior. After her divorce, she stayed for about a month at the house of Safia Zaghloul, wife of Saad Zaghloul, where she met Saad Zaghloul's nephew, Saeed. She was engaged to Saeed until he broke up with her in his exile with his uncle. Later on 12 May, 1919, the Sultan Fuad I proposed to her, although he was twenty five years older than her. She was forced to accept because of her father's weakness against the Sultan to refuse.
Marriage to King Fuad
On 26 May 1919, Nazli married the Sultan of EgyptSultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally included Sham and Hejaz, with the consequence that the...
, Fuad I
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
, at Bustan sarayi, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. She later moved to the Haramlek in the Abbasiya Palace. She was under a lot of pressure by her husband, and she was threatened that she would stay in the Haramlek if she doesn't have a son for the Sultan. And then she had their only son, Farouk I, which was the reason that made her move to Koubbeh Palace
Koubbeh Palace
Koubbeh Palace, is one of the various Egyptian palaces which currently serve as the country's official guest house for visiting dignitaries....
with her husband. When Fuad's title was altered to King
King of Egypt
King of Egypt was the title used by the ruler of Egypt between 1922 and 1951. When the United Kingdom ended its protectorate over Egypt on 28 February 1922, Egypt's Sultan Fouad I issued a decree on 15 March 1922 whereby he adopted the title of King of Egypt...
, she was given the title of Queen. Then she had 4 daughters: Fawzia, Faiza, Faiqa, and Fathiya.
Confined to the palace through most of Fuad's reign, Queen Nazli was nonetheless allowed to attend opera performances, flower shows, and other ladies-only cultural events. It was said whenever the Royal couple fought, she was been slapped by the King, and was been kept in her suite for weeks. It was also said that she tried to commit suicide by taking an extra quantity of Aspirin. She also accompanied the King during part of his four-month tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1927, and was much feted in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in view of her French origins. With the introduction of parliament in 1924, the she was among the royal attendees at parliament's opening ceremony seated in a special section of the guest gallery.
Life during Farouk's reign
After the death of King FuadFuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
in 1936, her son Farouk
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
became the new King of Egypt, and she became the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
. Her brother Sherif Sabri Pasha
Sherif Sabri Pasha
Sherif Sabri Pasha was the brother of Nazli Sabri, Queen consort of Egypt. He was thus the maternal uncle of Nazli's son King Farouk I, and served on the three-member Regency Council that was formed in 1936-37 during the latter's minority...
served on the three-member Regency Council
Regency Council
right|thumb|Regency Council: Ostrowski, Kakowski, LubomirskiThe Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland was a semi-independent and temporary highest authority during World War I, formed by Germany and Austria-Hungary in the occupied Polish territories in September 1917. It was supposed to stay...
that was formed during Farouk's minority. In 1942 Nazli and Ahmed Hassanein Pasha
Ahmed Hassanein
Ahmed Hassanein Pasha, KCVO, MBE or Aḥmad Moḥammad Makhlūf Ḥasanēn al-Būlākī was an Oxford-educated Egyptian courtier, diplomat, Olympic athlete in fencing, photographer, writer, politician, explorer and tutor to King Farouk.Ahmed Hassanein was one of the most influential figures in Egyptian...
, the famous desert explorer and Chief of the Royal Cabinet, were secretly married by Sheikh Mustafa el Maraghi of the Azhar. After Hassanein's death in 1946 Nazli left Egypt and went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Life outside Egypt
She was deprived of her rights and titles in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
by her son on August 1, 1950 because of Princess Fathiya's marriage to Riyad Ghali
Riyad Ghali
Riyad Ghali was the husband of Princess Fathia the youngest daughter of King Fuad I and Queen Nazli Sabri.- Marriage, Divorce and Death :...
Effendi, which was a refused marriage by the King. Another reason for this action was Nazli's conversion to Catholicism, for which she took the names Mary Elizabeth. On 1976, she sent a request to President Anwar Al-Sadat to give her and her daughter Princess Fathiya Egyptian passports, and right of return to Egypt. Unfortunatlly, on the day they were leaving the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, her daughter was killed by her ex-husband Riyad Ghali, which was an obstacle to her return to Egypt. She eventually settled in the USA, due to her painful sickness. And on 1978, she died in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Queen Nazli and public perception
Queen Nazli possessed one of the largest jewelry collection in the world and always topped the list of the world's richest and most elegant women. There has been a recent Egyptian TV series that provided an account for the life of Queen Nazli, Queen in Exile starring the Egyptian actress Nadia Al Jundi.Titles and styles
- 26 May 1919 – 15 March 1922: Her Gloriness The Sultana
- 15 March 1922 – 20 January 1938: Her Majesty The Queen
- 20 January 1938 – 8 August 1950: Her Majesty The Queen Mother
External links
- Egyptian Royalty by Ahmed S. Kamel, Hassan Kamel Kelisli-Morali, Georges Soliman and Magda Malek.
- L'Egypte D'Antan... Egypt in Bygone Days by Max Karkegi.
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