Royalty of Iraq

[maria-olivia]

I saw yesterday on french TV Agatha Christies's life. She went in Bagdad with her second husband for archeological works but had to leave when King Faisal II was killed.
I went to King Faisal II 's Murder and saw a so terrible pictures of the Body of his Uncle Abd Al Ilah, that I could not sleep.
How could people do that to a human person ?

[An Ard Ri]

Wasn't the king and most of his family gunned down in the palace courtyard?

[Troy Thompson]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

Wasn't the king and most of his family gunned down in the palace courtyard?

Yes. When the 14 July Revolution broke out, Faisal II ordered the Royal Guard to stand down, but that did not save his life. The executions the followed snuffed out the male lines of both Faisal I and Ali of Hejaz. Prince Zeid bin Hussein (the youngest brother of Ali of Hejaz, Abdullah I of Jordan and Faisal I of Iraq) and his family managed to survive because Zeid was, at the time, in London serving as the Iraqi ambassador to the Court of St. James's. Since the progeny of Abdullah I of Jordan were ineligible to the Iraqi throne, Zeid, the senior eligible dynast, was then recognized as the head of the Iraqi Royal Family, and became pretender to the Iraqi throne.

It should be noted, however, since this thread treats him as a true pretender a lot, that Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein is, objectively, a false pretender who has no defensible claim of pretense whatsoever to the Iraqi throne. The Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq set the rules of succession as such: Agnatic primogeniture among Iraqi nationals who belonged to the male line of Faisal I, or, in the event of the extinction of the male line of Faisal I, the male line of Hussein of Hejaz. No one who was not in the male line of Hussein of Hejaz was under any circumstances permitted to succeed to the Iraqi throne. Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein is a female-line descendant of Hussein of Hejaz, but not a male-line descendant, and thus cannot claim any legitimate pretense to the throne under the succession rules that existed under the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq.

Currently, the only line that has a remotely legitimate claim of pretense to the Iraqi throne under the rules of succession that existed under the Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq is the male-line of Hussein of Hejaz's youngest son, Prince Zeid bin Hussein, presently represented by Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid.

[maria-olivia]

Thank you Troy and An Ard Ri.
Yes the Royals were gunned in the Palace Courtyard.
But why was Abd Al Ilah 's dead body taken away from the Palace for being distroyed by people of Iraq. (see pictures) Was he so unpopular ?

[Troy Thompson]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

Thank you Troy and An Ard Ri.
Yes the Royals were gunned in the Palace Courtyard.
But why was Abd Al Ilah 's dead body taken away from the Palace for being distroyed by people of Iraq. (see pictures) Was he so unpopular ?

Faisal II was a minor for most of his reign, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah having served as regent for the entirety of the King's minority, except for a brief period in 1941. On April 1, 1941, former Prime Minister Rashid Ali al-Gaylani launched a pro-German coup that overthrew the regency under Prince 'Abd al-Ilah. This served as the catalyst of the Anglo-Iraqi War, the United Kingdom invading Iraq on May 2. By June 2, Rashid Ali's government collapsed and the British put Prince 'Abd al-Ilah back into power.

For the remainder of the regency, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah maintained a moderately nationalistic but overall pro-Anglo-American stance. After Faisal II came of age in 1953, and the regency ended, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah continued to be a close advisor to the King, and particularly advocated a pro-Western foreign policy.

The part about that which doomed Prince 'Abd al-Ilah to so much ire is that the 14 July Revolution was, at least in part, motivated by anti-Western sentiments. The revolutionaries (not unreasonably, given how much money British capitalists were making off from Iraqi oil) saw the Anglo-Iraqi relationship under the Kingdom to be an exploitative relationship in which a colonialist British Empire was stripping Iraq of its resources for their own profit. Accordingly, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah's pro-Western stance led the revolutionaries to see him as a traitor to Iraq and to the Arab Nation.

A cruel turn of events really. After World War I, the Hashemite dynasty had been renowned and adored throughout the Arab world for having shaken off the Turkish yoke in Hejaz, Transjordan and Syria, and having fought a principled, if hopeless, fight against the Western colonial powers in Syria, but in Iraq, less than half a century later, they (or, rather, the non-Jordanian branches) were nearly completely wiped out for not being good enough Arab nationalists.

[maria-olivia]

Thank you Troy Thompson, this is a very interesting thread. I remember the King's Murder and speaking to my Father : "He said don't think King Hussein will die in his bed". He was so wrong , the Jordan Monarchy is still there.

[An Ard Ri]

What ever became of king Faisal II's wife the French born Genevieve?

[theroyalfly]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

What ever became of king Faisal II's wife the French born Genevieve?

She fled to the United States and remarried and had two sons and got divorced. She died in 2010.

Her life was a tragedy and I can't find the right words to tell her story. Such a poignant life.

[An Ard Ri]

So she survived the palace massacre I assume she witnessed it all ,good Lord what she must have seen!

[Rossina]

According to Princess Badiya`s book & to many Iraqi sources, King Feisal II never married. He was engaged & supposed to marry princess Fazila Ibrahim, the daughter of Princess Hanzadeh Osmanoglu & Prince Mohamed Ali Ibrahim of Egypt.
Following the murder of the King, Mrs. Genevieve Arnault claimed that she was married to him. She sought with the help of her mother, through the courts, to inherit a palace he owned in Britan.

[Troy Thompson]

I'm not sure if Faisal II married Genevieve, or if they were merely engaged—sources seem to disagree. What I do know is that Abd al-Karim Qasim's object in killing royal family members was to prevent any continuance or restoration of the monarchy; for that object he only really needed to have the male members of the royal family killed, since women could not succeed to the Iraqi throne (and no male could make a claim to the Iraqi throne in the female line). Consequently, Genevieve was safe as long as she wasn't pregnant (which she wasn't).

Had they not been in London at the time, Prince Zeid bin Hussein and his son Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid would have almost certainly been killed as well, but being in London placed them out of Qasim's reach.

On a side note, apparently Saddam Hussein was fascinated by Faisal II. The dictator even took the extraordinary (considering the Ba'ath movement has always been strongly opposed to the Arab monarchies) step of restoring the royal mausoleum and having Faisal II reintered there, next to King Ghazi.

[theroyalfly]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

So she survived the palace massacre I assume she witnessed it all ,good Lord what she must have seen!

Yes she survived the palace massacre and she even filed a claim in court, proving that she indeed is a wife of King Faisal II. The court ruled in her favor and she was able to get two-thirds of his inheritance.

It was a long legal battle.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by theroyalfly

Yes she survived the palace massacre and she even filed a claim in court, proving that she indeed is a wife of King Faisal II. The court ruled in her favor and she was able to get two-thirds of his inheritance.

It was a long legal battle.

Genevieve and her mother Leonie "Lony" Arnault had returned to the United States at least four months prior to the 14 July 1958 massacre of King Faisal and three of his family members.

I was not aware of Genevieve's tie to the last Iraqi king until the recent posts in this thread. Having searched newspaper archives and court documents, it appears that she had a most extraordinary life. Not a very easy one, either.

Originally Posted by Rossina

According to Princess Badiya`s book & to many Iraqi sources, King Feisal II never married. He was engaged & supposed to marry princess Fazila Ibrahim, the daughter of Princess Hanzadeh Osmanoglu & Prince Mohamed Ali Ibrahim of Egypt.
Following the murder of the King, Mrs. Genevieve Arnault claimed that she was married to him. She sought with the help of her mother, through the courts, to inherit a palace he owned in Britan.

Actually, the only assets of King Faisal II that were "up in the air" was a not insignificant sum of money in a U.S. bank. Based on evidence presented, an American court ruled that Genevieve had been the wife (and widow) of the last Iraqi monarch. It was on that basis that the court decided that Genevieve should receive 2/3 of the sum, and that Faisal's great-uncle, IIRC, should receive the other 1/3.

The U.S. legal system later threw out the Republic of Iraq's lawsuit wherein the republic tried to claim that these assets of the late king belonged to it, and not to Faisal's widow and his other surviving family.

[theroyalfly]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Genevieve and her mother Leonie "Lony" Arnault had returned to the United States at least four months prior to the 14 July 1958 massacre of King Faisal and three of his family members.

I was not aware of Genevieve's tie to the last Iraqi king until the recent posts in this thread. Having searched newspaper archives and court documents, it appears that she had a most extraordinary life. Not a very easy one, either.

Exactly. Some sources argue that she and King Faisal II got married. But given that the court ruled in favor of her and she was able to get 2/3 of his fortune, it's rather true.

I've read some sources saying she was also accused of sexually abusing her youngest son from her second husband (who subsequently she divorced) but I'm still researching more about this.

Her life is a tragedy, nonetheless. She died in 2010 according to some sources.

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Actually, the only assets of King Faisal II that were "up in the air" was a not insignificant sum of money in a U.S. bank. Based on evidence presented, an American court ruled that Genevieve had been the wife (and widow) of the last Iraqi monarch. It was on that basis that the court decided that Genevieve should receive 2/3 of the sum, and that Faisal's great-uncle, IIRC, should receive the other 1/3.

The U.S. legal system later threw out the Republic of Iraq's lawsuit wherein the republic tried to claim that these assets of the late king belonged to it, and not to Faisal's widow and his other surviving family.

Thank you for bringing this up. For some people who wants to know more about this case, REPUBLIC OF IRAQ v. FIRST NATIONAL CITY BANK. Please check the link below:

https://www.leagle.com/decision/1965808241fsupp5671702

[An Ard Ri]

On this day ,July 14th :The Overthrow of the King in 1958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRk_F4JnWwY

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by theroyalfly

Exactly. Some sources argue that she and King Faisal II got married. But given that the court ruled in favor of her and she was able to get 2/3 of his fortune, it's rather true.



I've read some sources saying she was also accused of sexually abusing her youngest son from her second husband (who subsequently she divorced) but I'm still researching more about this.



Her life is a tragedy, nonetheless. She died in 2010 according to some sources.

Genevieve Arnault married Walter Jackson in 1971; they were divorced in 1981.

You are right, she (and her boyfriend) was accused of sexually abusing her younger son. Her elder son’s testimony was key to the case. The older son then recanted his testimony, and the case was dropped. The child admitted that he had been partially coached by his father.

https://www.apnews.com/9e169d2d4bcff2498fbd2eb569610c04

Genevieve died at Port Jervis, New York, on 20 June 2010. She had been born at Paris on 22 June 1937.

[maria-olivia]

The then frontpage of Paris Match showed Princes Fazila and tittled : "Elle ne sera jamais Reine ".

[theroyalfly]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

Genevieve Arnault married Walter Jackson in 1971; they were divorced in 1981.

You are right, she (and her boyfriend) was accused of sexually abusing her younger son. Her elder son’s testimony was key to the case. The older son then recanted his testimony, and the case was dropped. The child admitted that he had been partially coached by his father.

https://www.apnews.com/9e169d2d4bcff2498fbd2eb569610c04

Genevieve died at Port Jervis, New York, on 20 June 2010. She had been born at Paris on 22 June 1937.

Thank you for the confirmation. I was also reading the same source.

Her life was a tragic one. Indeed.

[An Ard Ri]

Asides from Genevieve did anyone else manage to escape ,Faisal II of Iraq had no siblings he did have an aunt Princess Rajiha Bint Faisal but as far as I'm aware she too was murdered?

[Rossina]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

Asides from Genevieve did anyone else manage to escape ,Faisal II of Iraq had no siblings he did have an aunt Princess Rajiha Bint Faisal but as far as I'm aware she too was murdered?

The family members who survived are:
- Princess Hiyam, the third wife of Prince Abdul-Ilah
- Princess Badiya & her family

Princess Rajiha Bint Faisal I also survived the massacre but she passed away a few months later (on Feb 1, 1959) at Lausanne, Switzerland. She was buried at the Royal Mausoleum, Raghadan Palace, Amman, Jordan.

Her daughter Sharifa Huzaima Nasser ( nee Abd al-Jabbar) lived in Jordan with her family. She served for some time as a lady in waiting to Princess Muna Al-Hussein.

Sharifa Huzima was married to Sharif Ghazi bin Rakan Nasser, the couple had a son & three daughters:

- Sharif Rakan bin Ghazi Nasser. b. at Amman, Jordan, 30th August 1965, educ. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ, Dayona Beach, Florida, USA. m. Karima Rakan, née Yolanda Bravo Herradon. He d. 16th July 1992, having had issue, an only daughter:
(i) Sharifa Haya Sofia bint Rakan Nasser. b. 3rd July 1989, educ. Manhattan Sch of Music, New York, USA.

- Sharifa Rajha bint Ghazi Nasser. b. at Amman, Jordan, October 1969. Settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. m. Amer Al-Muhaisen, CEO Oryx Transactions. She has issue, two sons and one daughter:
(i) Rakan Muhaisen.
(i) Hamza Muhaisen.
(ii) Ayyat Muhaisen. Copyright© Christopher Buyers

- Sharifa Sarra bint Ghazi. b. at Guildford, Surrey, 4th May 1971, educ. Roedean Sch, Brighton, Sussex, RMA Sandhurst, Univ Coll, London (B.Sc.) and Royal Inst of Counselling, Glasgow (cert.). Cmsnd as 2nd-Lieut Jordan Arab Army 1990, Directorate of Women's Affairs Head of Manpower 1993-1994, Head of Training 1994-1996, and Head of Cadet Programme Royal Hashemite Court since 2006. m. at Amman, Jordan, 4th August 1993, Raad bin Ghazi Al-Rifai (b. at Amman, Jordan, 3rd April 1965), educ. Univ. of Hartford, Connecticut (BSc), and Boston Univ., Massachusetts (MSc), USA, CEO The International Foundation for Investment Co Ltd, Vice-Chair Jordanian Public Payphones (JPP) Co Ltd until 1999, elder son of H.E. Ghazi bin Munir Al-Rifai, sometime Minister for Transport & Postal Services of Jordan, by his wife, Jacqueline Al-Rifai, née Chagniot, from France. She has issue, one son and three daughters:
(i) Faisal bin Raad Al-Rifai. b. 30th August 1995.
(i) Huzaima bint Raad Al-Rifai. b. 15th September 1997.
(ii) Sumaya bint Raad Al-Rifai. b. 1st June 2000.
(iii) Cathra bint Raad Al-Rifai. b. 1st November 2001.

- Sharifa Nafisa bint Ghazi. b. at Amman, Jordan, June 1978. m. at Amman, Jordan, 1998, Muhammad Alayyan (b. at Amman, Jordan, 1973), educ. Georgetown Univ, Washington DC, USA, Chair United Jordan Press Co, CEO & Publisher "Al Waseet" classified newspaper since 1998, Al Faridah Specialized Printing Co since 2000, and "Al Ghad" newspaper, Chair & MD Jordanian United TV Broadcasting Co. (ATV) 2007, Vice-Presdt International Advertising Assoc (Jordan Chapter), Mbr IFRA Brd, etc, son of Khalid M.B. Alayyan, Chair Suma Fruits International, National Arab Motors Co, Al Quds Insurance Co., etc. She has issue, one son and two daughters:
(i) Khalid Alayyan. b. 20th June 2001.
(i) Sara Alayyan. b. 1st December 1999.
(ii) Zain Alayyan. b. 4th June 2004.


Source: The Royal Ark