Narriman Sadek (
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
: ناريمان صادق or Nariman Sadiq) (31 October 1933 – 16 February 2005) was the daughter of
Hussain Fahmi Sadiq Bey, a high-ranking official in the
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
ian government, and his wife
Asila Kamil
Asilah (; ar, أزيلا or أصيلة; pt, Arzila; es, Arcila) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about south of Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact.
History
The town's history da ...
. She was the second wife of
King Farouk
Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...
and the last Queen of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
.
Life
Her name in the
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken a ...
means "The beautiful fascinating of vivacious spirit".
Her father was Hussain Fahmi Sadiq ''Bey'', Deputy Minister of Transportation. He was the son of Ali Sadiq ''Bey'', one of the famous honorable personalities of Egypt at that time, and a son of Muhammad Sadek
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 political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitar ...
. The last position he occupied before his death was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Transportation. Her mother was Asila Khanum, daughter of Kamel Mahmoud, one of the famous honorable personalities of
Minya Governorate
Minya Governorate ( ar, محافظة المنيا ') is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. Its capital city, Minya, is located on the left bank of the Nile River.
Etymology
The name originates from the chief city of the governorate, origi ...
.
Farouk divorced his first wife, Queen
Farida, in 1948, after a ten-year marriage in which she had produced three daughters, but no male heir. In a bid to ensure his succession, and also to rekindle some public enthusiasm towards a decaying dynasty, he let it be known that he was in the market for a new bride, preferably an Egyptian, well-heeled but not of the aristocracy.
Queen
![Farouk I, Narriman & Fuad II in Capri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Farouk_I%2C_Narriman_%26_Fuad_II_in_Capri.jpg)
Known as the "
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
of the Nile" for her
middle-class background, Narriman was selected in part as a
populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develop ...
gesture to prop up public opinion of the monarchy. She broke off her previous engagement to a
Harvard doctoral student named Zaki Hashem and was sent to Egypt's embassy in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to learn how to perform her royal duties. While in Rome she assumed the identity of the ambassador's niece in order to hide the purpose of her presence. At the embassy she studied history, etiquette, and four European languages. Countess Layla Martly, one of the most cultured and experienced ladies in Europe, accompanied Narriman to teach her history, the general behavior, and etiquette of the Royal cortege. Narriman lived in Rome at the Egyptian embassy in villa Savoy, which was the previous house of the Italian Royal family that was living at that time in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
. Also, as a consequence of the king's order that she return to Egypt weighing at most , she was put on a strict weight-loss program. In May 1951, at the age of 17, she married Farouk, thus becoming Egypt's queen. The couple's wedding was lavish and extravagant. Narriman wore a bridal gown embroidered with 20,000 diamonds, and the two received many expensive presents. Those presents that were made of gold were subsequently secretly melted down into ingots.
On 16 January 1952, Narriman gave birth to their only son,
Ahmed Fuad. Later that year, Farouk was forced to abdicate by the
Egyptian Revolution of 1952. He was succeeded by his infant son, who assumed the throne as
King Fuad II. Fuad's largely symbolic reign was cut short, however, with the establishment of a
republic the following year.
Divorce
Following Farouk's abdication, the royal family went into
exile (aboard the royal yacht "El-Mahrousa") in July 1952. Bored with the itinerant lifestyle and tired of Farouk's philandering, Narriman returned to Egypt with her mother, to her former position as a commoner. She divorced Farouk in February 1954.
On 3 May 1954, she married Adham al-Nakib of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, who had been Farouk's personal doctor. They had one son, Akram, and subsequently divorced in 1961.
In 1967, she married
Ismail Fahmi
Ismail Fahmy ( arz, اسماعيل فهمى) (2 October 1922 – 21 November 1997) was an Egyptian diplomat and politician. He served as ambassador to Austria (1968–1971), tourism minister (1973), foreign minister (1973–1977) and deputy prim ...
, another medical practitioner. She lived in seclusion in the
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
suburb of
Heliopolis until her death.
Death
Nariman Fahmi died on 16 February 2005 in
Dar al-Fouad hospital, on the outskirts of
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, after a brain hemorrhage. Her last years were spent in seclusion in an apartment in Cairo's upscale
Heliopolis neighbourhood, where she lived with her husband, Ismail Fahmi.
Honours
*
Decoration of Al Kemal in brilliants (Egypt, 5 May 1951).
See also
*
List of consorts of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty
References
External links
Queen Narriman's Official websiteEgyptian Royaltyby Ahmed S. Kamel, Hassan Kamel Kelisli-Morali, Georges Soliman and Magda Malek.
L'Egypte D'Antan... Egypt in Bygone Days by Max Karkegi.
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadeq, Narriman
1933 births
2005 deaths
Egyptian queens consort
Farouk of Egypt
Remarried royal consorts
Narriman
Royalty from Cairo
Queen mothers