Mahmoud Fakhry Pasha (1884–1955) was an Egyptian politician and diplomat. He held several cabinet and high-ranking diplomacy posts. He was related to the royal family of Egypt who married first the daughter of Sultan Hussein Kamil and then the daughter of King Fuad.

Early life and education

Fakhry was born in Cairo on 24 November 1884 into a Circassian-origin family. His parents were

Hussein Fakhry Pasha Hussein Fakhry Pasha (1843-1920) was the Prime Minister of Egypt for three days during the Khedivate of Egypt. He was Prime Minister from January 15, 1893 to January 18, 1893. He had previously served as a cabinet minister. He was Minister of Publ ...

, one of the

prime ministers of Egypt A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...

, and Nashat Khanum, daughter of Abdullah Safvat. Fakhry Pasha was a graduate of Collège des Jésuites in Cairo.

Career

Fakhry was the grand

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

to Sultan Hussein Kamil (1916–1917) and King Fuad (1917–1919). He served as the sub-governor of Cairo and governor of Cairo (1919–1920). He was appointed minister of finance to the cabinet led by Tewfik Nessim and was in the office in the period May 1920–March 1921. Next he was named as the minister of foreign affairs in the second cabinet of Nessim and served in the post between December 1922 and February 1923. On 11 December 1922 Fakhry was awarded with the title of

Pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, gener ...

. Fakhry was part of the three-member

regency council A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...

established by King Fouad in 1922 which was given the task of ruling the country until Crown Prince Farouk became eligible to rule. The other members of the council included

Adly Yakan Pasha Adly Yakan Pasha (18 January 1864 – 22 October 1933) ( ar, عدلي يكن باشا), sometimes referred to as Adly Pasha, was an Egyptian political figure. He served as the 14th prime minister of Egypt between 1921 and 1922, again betwee ...

and Tewfik Nessim. However, following the death of King Fouad in 1936 the

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

changed the council members. Fakhry was appointed ambassador to France in December 1924 which he held until February 1942. Then he was appointed ambassador to Spain and later to Portugal, holding the two posts together. He also served as the ambassador to Belgium and Switzerland. He was the Egyptian delegate to the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

and acted as the vice-president of the Assembly in 1939. In May 1945 he was again named as the ambassador to France, but his term ended in December 1945 when he retired due to the age limit. Following his return to Egypt he served as the director of the

Suez Canal Company Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...

Personal life and death

Fakhry married twice. His first wife was Princess Badiha Khanum Effendi, youngest daughter of Hussein Kamil,

Sultan of Egypt Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally i ...

. Following her death Fakhry married Princess Fawkia, daughter of King Fuad and Princess Chevikiar, on 13 May 1919. They lived in a palace on the shores of the

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

which was sold by the princess to her half-sister Princess Faika in June 1952. Fakhry died in Cairo on 1 June 1955 and was buried at Imam Al Shafii mausoleum. Princess Fawkia died at a Zurich hotel,

Grand Hotel Dolder The Dolder Grand (formerly known as Grand Hotel Dolder) is a 5 star superior hotel in the Swiss city of Zürich. It is located on Adlisberg hill, some from, and above, the city centre. Built in 1899, the hotel spreads out over and offers 173 ro ...

, in 1974.

Awards

Fakhry was the recipient of the following: Grand Cordon of

Order of the Nile The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor. Sultana ...

, Title of Al Imtiaz (1922), Grand Cordon of

Order of Ismail __NOTOC__ The Royal Order of Ismail (''Nishan al-Ismail'') was an order of chivalry and state honour in the Kingdom of Egypt. History It was established on 14 April 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt to reward eminent services to the state. Th ...

(1927),

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

and

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

of France.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fakhry, Mahmoud 20th-century Egyptian diplomats 20th-century Egyptian politicians 1884 births 1955 deaths Ambassadors of Egypt to France Egyptian pashas Finance Ministers of Egypt Foreign ministers of Egypt Members of the Order of the British Empire Ambassadors of Egypt to Portugal Egyptian people of Circassian descent Mahmoud Ambassadors of Egypt to Belgium Ambassadors of Egypt to Switzerland Ambassadors of Egypt to Spain Recipients of the Legion of Honour