Princess Ruhije Zogu (1906–1948), was an Albanian princess. Patrice Najbor, Histoire de l’Albanie et de sa Maison Royale 1443-2007, 5 vol., Je Publie, 2008.

Life

She was the daughter of

Xhemal Pasha Zogu Xhemal Pasha Zogu (; 1860–1911), also known as Jamal Pasha or Jamal Pasha Zogolli, was the Hereditary Governor of Mati, Albania (at the time part of the Ottoman Empire). He was the father of King Zog I of Albania. Born at Burgajet Castle, Mati ...

and

Sadijé Toptani Sadije Toptani (Tirana, 28 August 1876 – Durrës, 25 November 1934) was queen mother of Albania from September 1928 until her death. She was the mother of Zog I of Albania. Biography Sadije (also Sadijé, Sadiya or Khadija) was a member of the ...

, and was one of the six sisters of King

Zog I of Albania Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939), Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27 ...

. When her brother became monarch in 1928, she and her siblings were granted the status of Prince and Princess Zogu. In contrast to his two eldest sisters, Princess

Adile Zogu Princess Adile Zogu (1890–1966) was an Albanian princess. She was the eldest sister of Zog I of Albania. Birth Like all of Zog I's sisters, there is a degree of confusion regarding Adile's date of birth. Over the duration of the Zogist monarch ...

and Nafije Zogu, who was seldom seen in public, the king gave his four younger sisters official roles to play in the royal representation. During the first years of his reign, the princesses lived a traditional isolated life in the royal palace complex and seldom appeared outside of the family circle, but this changed by the time of the wedding of Princess Senije in 1936. From that year onward, the king regularly arranged formal royal balls, and had his four younger sisters appear in public on official royal representational assignments: Princess Senije was assigned tasks within health care, Ruhije Zogu education,

Myzejen Zogu Princess Myzejen Zogu of Albania ( sq, Princeshë Myzejen Zogu të Shqipërisë; 6 February 1905 – 10 April 1969), was an Albanian princess. Initially excluded from public life and seen little in public, the Princess later represented her brothe ...

culture, and

Maxhide Zogu Princess Maxhide Zogu (1907–1969), was an Albanian princess.Patrice Najbor, Histoire de l’Albanie et de sa Maison Royale 1443-2007, 5 vol., Je Publie, 2008. Life She was the daughter of Xhemal Pasha Zogu and Sadijé Toptani, and was one the si ...

attended to tasks within sports. To prepare them for this task, they were given lessons in piano playing, dance, language and riding, and were sent for several trips to Western Europe, where they became known for their expensive shopping trips. When the king banned the

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...

in 1937, he made sure his sisters appeared in public without veils and dressed in Western fashion as role models for other women. Prior to the royal wedding of the king in 1938, the three youngest princesses made a trip to the USA, where they were given much attention.

Exile

She left Albania with the rest of the royal family in 1939 upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and followed the former monarch in exile to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in 1940. She, as well as the rest of the sisters except Adile, followed Zog to

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 Mediter ...

in 1946. She died in 1948.

References

* Christo Dako, Zog the First, King of the Albanians, Tirana, 1937. * Josephine Dedet, Geraldine, Reine des Albanais, Paris, Criterion, 1997. * Charles Fenyvesi, Splendor in exile, Washington, New Republic Books, 1979. * Anastas Frashëri, Cila ka qënë N.M. Saj Sadije Zogu ho was H.M .Queen Mother Sadije Zogu Tirana, « Tirana », 1935. * Patrice Najbor, Histoire de l’Albanie et de sa Maison Royale 1443-2007, 5 vol., Je Publie, 2008. * Neil Rees, A Royal Exile - King Zog & Queen Geraldine of Albania in exile..., Studge Publications, 2010. * Gwen Robyns, Geraldine of the Albanians, London, Muller, Blond & White limited, 1987 * Joseph Swire, Albania – The Rise of a Kingdom, New York, Arno Press & The New York Times, 1971. * Jason Tomes, King Zog. Self-made Monarch of Albania, Sutton Publishing Limited, 2003. * Tomes, Jason: King Zog: Self-Made Monarch of Albania * Ingrid Sharp, Matthew Stibbe: Aftermaths of War: Women's Movements and Female Activists, 1918-1923 {{DEFAULTSORT:Zogu, Ruhije 1906 births 1948 deaths Albanian royalty Albanian women's rights activists Place of birth missing 20th-century Albanian women People from Mat (municipality) People from Scutari vilayet House of Zogu Albanian expatriates in Egypt Albanian expatriates in France