Royalty of Libya

[PrincessKaimi]

I'd be rather surprised if the Prince showed much further interest in going back to Libya.

[Kasumi]

Art lover and exile: Libyan princess Alia al Senussi
HH Princess Alia Idris Al-Senussi was born in Washington DC to a Libyan father and American mother and moved shortly thereafter to Cairo, Egypt. Princess Alia’s father is a member of the Al Senussi family, who were exiled from Libya in 1969 when General Moammar Gaddhafi seized the throne in a coup d’etat and made himself Leader of the Libyan Jamaharriyah.
Princess Alia’s grandfather, HRH Prince Abdallah Abed Al-Senussi, was a political leader in the government under King Idris.

Alia al Senussi – text
Artful Princess Has Plans for Libya | Evening Standard

**Pic** - portrait of Princess Alia

[Kasumi]

Libyan 'heir to the throne' returns home - Telegraph
A prince who claims to be heir to the throne of Libya has set foot on his country's soil for the first time since the monarchy was overthrown in 1969.
Prince Idris al-Senussi left a “humiliating” existence in Italy and flew home using a passport of royal vintage, issued during the reign of his late relative, King Idris. He landed in a country where the green, red and black national flag dating from the era when Libya was a monarchy is flying once again.
[...]
He spent his first day in Libya visiting the palace where the royal household lived until they were overthrown by Gaddafi and driven out of the country in 1969. Prince Idris, then only 12, eventually became an Italian citizen and a tenacious opponent of Gaddafi’s regime. In 1991, he was accused of organising a failed bid to kill the “Brother Leader”, who retaliated by placing him on a death list.

But Prince Idris said his homecoming had no political significance and he would not be campaigning for the restoration of the monarchy. “I’m not making any political statement. I’m going to visit friends, relatives and to bring my children to see their country,” he said. “I want to participate in building democratic civil society.”
[...]
Unlike King Charles II, who moved into Hampton Court straight after the Restoration of 1660, Prince Idris has nowhere to live in his homeland. The old palace now belongs to the government and he has no intention of asking for it to be given back to the Senussi family. “This is not the time to talk about these things. First we must see a stable Libya,” he said.
Prince Idris, 54, chose to spend his first night in a hotel, accompanied by his daughter, Princess Alia, and son, Prince Khalid.

[Cory]

Cirenaica became autonomous and its leader,Ahmad Zubair, is a close relative of the Royal Family. Which will be the consequences for the Senussi Royal Family?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17271431

[Ruhije]

I think the very recent autonomy announced in Benghazi for Cyrenaica in the east of Libya is extremely interesting, and worth watching closely for Monarchists interested in The al-Senussi Dynasty and Libyan Monarchy.
It is worth noting that The Libyan Royal Family were originally Emirs in Cyrenaica!
When the Libyan anti-Gaddafi demos and uprising started in places like Benghazi and Al-Badya in Cyrenaica, many pictures of King Muhammad Idris al-Senussi were seen being held up by people in the crowds, along with the flags of the Kingdom and Monarchy!

The leader of Benghazi NTC National Transitional Council, and now new Cyrenaica Autonomy Council leader is Ahmed Al-Zubair El-Sharif (Prince) al-Senussi,a Great-nephew of HM King Idris and a cousin or 2nd cousin to the Crown Prince, Muhammad al-Hasan al-Rida al-Senussi. His Grand-Father was a leading al-Senussi Sheikh (Ahmed al-Senussi) in Cyrenaica and the father of HM Queen Fatima al-Senussi, the wife of King Idris.

Ahmed Al-Zubair was imprisoned (tortured and held for many years in solitary confinement) by Gaddafi regime for 31yrs, only released in 2001, making him the longest serving political and Royal prisoner in Libya under Gaddafi.

This is a very interesting development, and makes Cyrenaica and Libya a very fluid situation and extremely interesting place for Monarchists and Royal watchers alike! Could this be a sign of the return of Emirs of Cyrenaica, or even the Monarchy and King?

[Ruhije]

There are some interesting very up-to-date recent News articles on the ongoing situation of recent autonomy declaration in Cyrenaica (Eastern Libya region), and the new autonomy council"s leader HH Ahmed Al-Zubair El-Sharif (Prince) al-Senussi, and general background on The Emirate of Cyrenaica, United Kingdom of Libya, and The al-Senussi Dynasty.

News articles on Al-Jazeera News website, and BBC News website.

Wikipedia also have some very interesting links and pages on The al-Senussi Dynasty, HM King Idris, and other al-Senussi relatives - including the Crown Prince HRH Muhammad al-Hasan al-Rida al-Senussi, and Cyrenaica Autonomy Council leader Ahmed Al-Zubair al-Senussi.

[James Frankcom]

It seems there are deliberate moves being made now by at least three members of the Senussi dynasty to achieve a royal restoration.

1) Mohammed al-Rida bin Sayyid Hassan (b.1962) - the legitimate pretender - remains in Mayfair (London) is exercising great restraint about what he says in public regarding political developments in his homeland, is paying for the best advice money can buy (Bell Pottinger) and seems to be playing the dignified long game by presenting himself as someone suitable to be a constitutional monarch.

2) Idris bin Abdullah (b.1957) - the usurper - evidently believes (a) that if you keep repeating a lie people will start believing it and (b) possession is nine-tenths of the law. With those two basic principles in mind he has appeared on as many television programmes as possible and in December flew from Italy to Tripoli with his children and upon arrival immediately attempted to take possession of the former royal palace. The authorities did not allow it and forced him to stay at a local hotel instead. He may still be in Libya, he may not.

3) Ahmad al-Zubayr - the long sufferer - poor old Ahmad (b.1934 or 1933) is the only one of the three not to have lived most of his life in exile but remained in Libya throughout the Gadaffi regime and spent much of it in prison where he was horribly tortured. He is the only one of the three Senussi's to occupy any executive office and command any loyalty among soldiers on the ground - in his case Ahmad is the Chairman of the Cyrenaica Transitional Council.

The key question is this - is Ahmad al-Zubayr (3) preparing the ground in Benghazi for a restoration of Mohammed al-Rida (1) or for Idris bin Abdullah (2) or for himself?

The genealogical tables at Royal Ark show all three of the aforementioned Senussi's to be THIRD COUSINS. Mohammed al-Rida is the great nephew of the last king of Libya (being the grandson of the last king's younger brother) while Idris and Ahmad are the late king's first cousins twice removed. Using patrilinear succession principles Mohammed al-Rida is the most senior claimant, followed by Ahmad al-Zubayr (3) and lastly by Idris bin Abdullah (2) who has the weakest claim (but is making the most noise).

To try to resolve some of the confusion about who is who in the Libyan Royal Family it is important to know that all Libyan royals are descended from Sayyid Muhammad bin 'Ali al-Sanussi al-Khattabi al-Mujahiri al-Idrisi al-Hasani, 1st Grand Senussi (1787-1859).

Both the late King Idris (deposed by Gadaffi in 1969) and the legitimate pretender Crown Prince Mohammed (1) are both descended from the 1st Grand Senussi's second son - Mohammed al-Mahdi.

Ahmad al-Zubayr (3) and Idris bin Abdullah (2) are both descended from the third son of the 1st Grand Senussi - Mohammed as-Sharif.

Ahmad al-Zubayr (3) is descended from the eldest son of Mohammed as-Sharif while Idris bin Abdullah (2) is descended from his second son.

What could happen next?

There is chatter on pro-Gadaffi websites which report "gun battles" recently (March 2012) in Benghazi - the capital of Cyrenaica - between "separatists" supporting Ahmad al-Zubayr (2) and "tribal fighters supporting Libyan unity." The same websites allege that Ahmad al-Zubayr is a "western puppet"... if such websites are correct and given the weakness of the Libyan state it is possible that a scenario could occur whereby Cyrenaica expels pro-unity fighters and then unilaterally declares independence before inviting Crown Prince Mohammed to return and rule as the Emir. I would, however, be surprised if Crown Prince Mohammed accepted such an offer (a new country here is unlikely to be given diplomatic recognition) and am inclined to the view that these moves led by a Ahmad al-Zubayr are designed to pressurise the central authorities and compel the Transitional National Council in Tripoli to propose another Senussi (perhaps Crown Prince Mohammed) as a compromise Libyan head of state to placate Cyrenaica and thereby maintain Libyan national unity.

[Ruhije]

Does anyone know any update news or the current situation re the Autonomy of Cyrenaica and Prince Ahmed Zubair al-Senussi, and the official position of the Crown Prince on this situation?

[Lenora]

Prince Mahdi Al-Senussi, member of the Libyan royal family, gives his take on the attack in Benghazi and what this means for the future of Libya.
Libyan Prince: Benghazi Attacks Planned | Fox Business Video