KING FAROUK ANNULS MARRIAGE OF SISTER TO COPTIC COMMONER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27392, 18 May 1950, Page 7

KING FAROUK ANNULS MARRIAGE OF SISTER TO COPTIC COMMONER

NZPA—Copyright

Rec. 8.10 p.m. LONDON, May 17. The Cairo correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says King Farouk of Egypt last night signed a royal decree annulling, the marriage of his 19-year-old sister, Princess Fathia, to 31-year-old Mr Riad Ghali, a Coptic Christian, in San Francisco last month.

The decree deprived her of her royal titles and privileges, and it also ordered the return to Egypt of another sister, 21-year-old Princess Kaikah, who married Fouad Sadek, an Egyptian consular official, in San Francisco last month.

The decree suspended guardianship of Princess Fathia by Queen Nazli, the Queen Mother, and ordered confiscation of all their property. It also ordered Queen Nazli to return to Egypt from the United States.

King Farouk signed the decree after a three-hour meeting of the Egyptian Crown Council, which is responsible for advising the King on the status of the Royal Family. It recommended all the steps announced in the decree. The council sat under the chairmanship of 75-year-old Prince Mohammed Ali, the King’s cousin and heir-pre-sumptive to the throne. The council called for effective measures to separate Princess Fathia and her husband, who is Queen Nazli's adviser, and to place her in the King’s

care until her case is settled. She is still a minor under Egyptian law. The King, in a memorandum to the council, said he had made representations to Princess Fathia and Queen Nazli and asked them to return to Egypt, but they had refused. The King said Queen Nazli left Egypt in 1946 for health reasons accompanied by the Princesses Fathia and Faikah. By reason of the Queen’s health and thenlong sojourn abroad, the princesses had fallen under certain influences. Every effort was made by appeals to Queen Nazli to prevent the marriage. The King said: “My mother indicated that she did not care whether Princess Fathia’s husband was of royal blood or a commoner. She said her feelings as a mother were her main concern.’’

The King described Riad Ghali as

“ not of good character.” He said Queen Nazli and her two daughters had received £483,000 in the last four years. Ghali received £40,000. Princess Fathia, when told in San Francisco of the Egyptian Crown Council’s decision, said: “I want to be a simple housewife, living with the man I love.” Princess Fathia declared that she and Ghali still intended to go through with the Moslem ceremony. She added that it would be of great advantage if she were stripped of her royal title and allowed to go her own way.