Royal Egyptian and Afghan Wedding

Crown Prince Muhammad Ali of Egypt and Princess Noal Zaher, granddaughter of King Zaher Shah of Afghanistan, are preparing for their impending royal wedding.

Crown Prince Muhammad Ali, Noal Zaher's mother, Fatima Aref Begum, Muhammad's father, King Fuad II and Princess Noal Zaher

The couple, who announced their engagement on 27 April 2013, are set to tie the knot on 30th August at the Palace of Çirağan on the European shores of the Istanbul Strait in Turkey.

The Egyptian Crown Prince was born in Cairo in 1979 and is the eldest son of King Fuad II of Egypt, giving him the title of Prince of Sa'id. Today Prince Muhammad resides in Paris where he works in real estate and met his princess during a holiday in Istanbul.

Princess Noal Zaher was born in 1980 in the Italian capital of Rome, where her family took refuge after a coup d'état proclaimed a republic in Afghanistan in 1973, which destabilised the country up to this day. Her father is Prince Mohammed Daoud Khan Pachtounyar, the fifth son of King of Afghanistan Zahir Shah and Queen Homeira.

Princess Noal Zaher graduated from the famous French university Institut Saint-Dominique with a degree in European Business before specialising in jewellery design at Webster University in London.

Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians and his fiancée, Ms Elia Zaharia,

Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians and his fiancée, Ms Elia Zaharia, announed on his website, that they will attend the wedding the Egyptian Crown Prince's wedding.

The dynasty of Mehmet-Ali who ruled Egypt for over a century is considered to have Albanian roots. The website claims, that "the presence of the head of the Albanian Royal Family shall celebrate the very closed friendship between the two royal families, especially during King Zog I and Queen Geraldine’s exile. The royal couple, Crown Prince Leka and the whole royal household were generously hosted by HM King Farouk I in his beloved country from 1946 until to the fall of the egyptian monarchy."

HM Queen Farida, King Farouk I’s first spouse and HRH Princess Fadia of Egypt attended King Leka I and Australian-born Queen Susan’s wedding in Madrid in October 1975.

King Fouad I and King Farouk I, respectively great grandfather and grandfather of HRH Prince Muhammad-Ali, were both holders of the highest ranks of the royal Albanian orders, the Grand Collar of Honour of Albania and the grand-sash with star of the Bessa Order as well.

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First wife of the Shah of Iran has died aged 92



His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shahanshah Ariyamehr with H.I.H. Princess Fawzia of Egypt, 1st wife of the Shahanshah of Iran.



Princess Fawzia, the first wife of the Shah of Iran and a daughter and sister of Egyptian kings has died aged 92, a member of the Egyptian Royal Family has announced.

Her death was reported on social media by her nephew, King Fuad II, who was Egypt’s King before he was deposed in 1953, when Egypt was deprieved of the Monarchy and declared a republic under the dictatorship of Gamal Abdel Nasser.

“The royal family of Egypt announces to the nation that it is mourning the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Fawzia Fuad, daughter of His Majesty King Fuad I and sister of His Majesty King Faruk I and aunt of his Majesty King Fuad II and the former Empress of Iran… The funeral procession for Her Royal Highness Princess Fawzia will start after noon prayer on Wednesday.”

Her relatives have said she will be buried in Cairo.

Princess Fawzia became the Queen of Iran after marrying then Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1939, they divorced nine years later. She remarried in Egypt in 1949 to Ismail Chirine, an Egyptian army officer.

Princess Fawzia of Egypt and Colonel Ismail H. Chirine.

Fellow blogger Theodore Harvey found the right words:

As Egypt undergoes yet more turmoil with the military ouster of President Morsi today, one more link to an era when Egyptians enjoyed relative stability and liberty is gone. Egypt and Iran are still paying the price for the ouster of her brother & nephew and husband respectively.

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His Majesty King Fouad II of Egypt has released a statement

In the name of Allah the benevolent and the merciful.

"We Ahmed Fouad II of Egypt, deeply saddened by the tragic events experienced by our beloved country, wish wholeheartedly for a swift solution to the present crisis.

"Our prayers accompany families who have suffered losses of dear ones.

"Our best wishes for a prompt recovery are extended to those who have been injured.

"We hope most sincerely that these unfortunate victims will be truly the last and that there will be no more bloodshed.

"Let us hope that the whole Nation and its people will recover peace and well being and take the path of democracy. Social and economic development can only come through peaceful dialogue.

"May Allah protect my beloved Egypt and the Egyptian people."

His Majesty, Fu'ād II, King of Egypt and the Sudan – Aḥmad Fu'ād (Arabic: الملك أحمد فؤاد الثاني Aḥmad Fu'ād) – was born on 16th January 1952. He ascended the throne on 26th July 1952 upon the abdication of his father, His Majesty King Fārūq I, who was forced by the putsch of army officers to leave the country. His Majesty, King Fu'ad II reigned for less than a year until 18th June 1953, when Egypt was declared a republic and he joined the rest of his family in exile in Switzerland, where he has continued to live to this day.

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King Fouad II of Egypt

Surprise no. 1: Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal published an article on His Majesty King Fouad II of Egypt.

Big surprise no 2: The article is not only fair to the Monarch in exile, but refers also to his increasing popularity in his home country:

"Farouk fever" has been sweeping Egypt. A TV soap opera on King Farouk was such a hit its producers just unveiled another series about the royals. Books set in the era are selling briskly at the popular Diwan bookstore chain in Cairo. A tour company is marketing cruises along the Nile on a yacht with a "Farouk Suite."

"You are and you left as the king," says Youssef Makar, a friend who is seated nearby. "And to us you will always be the king."

In July 1952, the young Fouad, swaddled in fine Egyptian embroidered cotton, boarded the royal yacht with his parents and three half sisters as they fled the country during the revolution. He was in the arms of his nanny, and Farouk ordered them to walk in front of him. "He is the King," Farouk declared. They landed in Capri and Fouad, carried by his nanny, was the first off the boat.
His father's "comeback" has given Fouad a new optimism. He longs to return to Egypt in some capacity—perhaps as cultural ambassador. Monarchs such as the King of Spain, Juan Carlos, have helped their countries move to democracy, he says: "It works for Spain beautifully."

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