Prince Mohamed Ali Farouk Returns to Egypt, Honoring King Hassan II
Prince Mohamed Ali Farouk has returned to Cairo, acknowledging King Hassan II’s crucial role in his birth during his family’s exile. This return marks a reconciliation of Egypt’s royal past with its present. He aims to rehabilitate his family’s image and preserve their historical legacy while reflecting on the complex relations between Egypt and Morocco.
Prince Mohamed Ali Farouk, the grandson of Egypt’s last king, has made a significant return to Cairo, expressing gratitude for King Hassan II’s intervention that facilitated his birth in Egypt during his family’s exile. “Thanks to King Hassan II’s support, who intervened with President Sadat, my mother Fadila was authorized to give birth in Cairo,” the 46-year-old prince shared in a recent interview. This pivotal moment in 1979 marked him as the first male direct descendant of the royal family to return to Egypt since the 1952 revolution.
Now wielding an Egyptian passport acquired in 2020, Prince Mohamed Ali is re-establishing his presence in Cairo after years spent living in France. His return symbolizes a reconciliation between Egypt’s royalist past and republican present. “For my father, Egypt was a lost homeland. For me, it’s a rediscovered one,” he noted. The prince operates a technical real estate consulting firm in Paris and reflects on his family’s legacy, with his father having briefly reigned as king at just seven months old before the monarchy was abolished in 1953.
The prince credits his wife, Princess Noal Zaher of Afghanistan’s royal family, for encouraging his decision to return to his roots. “It was Noal who supported me throughout my reflection. She wanted to live in the Orient and wanted our children to grow up closer to their roots,” he explained. The couple’s desire to raise their children immersed in their cultural heritage influenced his return.
The relationship between King Hassan II and Egypt’s leadership was historically fraught, marked by moments of hostility and tension. Their interactions were notable, beginning in the late 1950s when Hassan II once jokingly remarked at a state dinner, referencing President Nasser’s revolutionary efforts, “I don’t think eating turkey with a fork is harder than overthrowing King Farouk.” This tension escalated through various conflicts, including the Sand War in 1963, when Nasser sent troops to support Algeria against Morocco.
A failed reconciliation attempt in March 1965 highlighted the fractures in their relationship. After an initially cordial meeting, disagreements over Morocco’s ties to West Germany led to Nasser threatening Hassan II, warning that Arab leaders opposing Egypt would “be condemned to disappear.” Following this tense exchange, Hassan II placed his military on high alert, underscoring the precarious state of relations during that period.
Relations between the two nations only improved after Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak took office in Egypt. More recent years under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have seen echoes of past tensions surface, primarily due to diplomatic events that raised eyebrows regarding Egypt’s stance towards Algeria and Western Sahara. Despite these frictions, Egypt has reiterated its support for Morocco’s territorial claims.
In conclusion, Prince Mohamed Ali Farouk’s return to Egypt is historically significant, representing a reconciliation of royal and republican traditions. His gratitude towards King Hassan II highlights the complex diplomatic landscape between Egypt and Morocco. The historic ties and strained relations between the two countries reveal a backdrop of historical conflict and reconciliation, which the prince now seeks to honor through his family’s legacy and cultural contributions without political ambitions.
Original Source: www.moroccoworldnews.com
