Remembering King Farouk The Last King of Egypt
Feb. 11 is a date that holds the birthday of King Farouk who became the crown prince of Egypt at a young age where his father, King Fuad, dubbed him, “Prince of Upper Egypt”. King Farouk was educated in both Egypt and England before ascending to the throne in 1937.
When he rose to power, he walked in his father’s footsteps by having a rivalry with the popular Wafd party, with which he clashed over many issues, including administrative functions, government appointments, and even the form used for his coronation (the ceremony of crowning a sovereign).
In light of this, we decided to give you the biggest moments of his life to learn more about his reign and influence within the region.
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Condominium
One of the King’s biggest moments was in Oct. 1951, he claimed the title of “King of Egypt and Sudan.” This is because of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan condominium (the joint control of a state’s affairs by other states) of the United Kingdom and Egypt in Sudan. The region annexed back then corresponds to the territory of present-day South Sudan.
However, following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, Egypt pushed for an end to the condominium, and the independence of Sudan. Sudan was granted independence on 1 Jan. 1956 after an agreement between Egypt and the United Kingdom.
Devotion to the different sectors of the country
King Farouk passed a few pieces of legislation which allowed for increasing employee compensation as well as raising their standard of living. Also, in order to expand employment and production in El-Mahalla El-Kubra’s factories, he began opening new textile factories. The king then prioritized the country’s education sector and according to The Official Presidency Page, it saw a sixfold increase under his administration.
Egyptian Revolution of 1952
King Farouk’s downfall was sure a dramatic one as he was overthrown in 1952 by the “Free Officers Movement,” which included several army officers, led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, an Egyptian commander who later became the president of Egypt. This movement sought to overthrow what the people saw as a “corrupt king.”
According to Al Arabiya News, King Farouk was trapped in his palace by revolutionaries, who then forced him into exile. But ironically, on July 25, 1952, he was racing through the streets of Alexandria with his wife, son, three daughters, and an English nanny while being chased by the military who had served him.
In the end, Farouk realized that he had no other options as he had to protect his family, and accepted an ultimatum that was given by the officers leading the revolution. The ultimatum stated that King Farouk had to abdicate (step down) on one condition, this condition dictated that abdication papers be formal and constitutional so he can be allowed to depart with full military honors.
Finally, It was then arranged that his family would leave on a royal yacht, the Mahroussa, just six hours after Farouk signed his abdication.
