Given the fact that half of all Tunisians are under 25 and that the Tunisian monarchy was abolished in 1957, I think it's quite safe to predict that whatever the future holds for the country, one thing we will not see is a groundswell of interest in restoring the old Beylical/Royal House, the Husseinids. Probably few Tunisians even think about the fact that they once had a monarchy. (Apparently there is a claimant somewhere, but so obscure even the Internet doesn't offer all that much information.) But you already know I throw in historical trivia from time to time.
The fellow above left is Muhammad VIII al-Amin, Bey of Tunis, 1943-1956, and first and last King of Tunisia, 1956-57. He had been installed in 1943 when the Free French ousted his cousin, who was considered pro-Vichy.
He did not much outlast French rule. When Tunisian independence was declared in 1956, he became King. The Prime Minister, Habib Bourguiba, had an ego too large to share power with even a figurehead monarch, and in 1957 he deposed the King and declared a republic. Bourguiba became President, and eventually President-for-Life, with a lot more power than the King had had. The ex-King died in Tunis in 1962.
The Husseinids had held the Beylicate of Tunis since 1705.
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Your weekend historical video this week is a bunch of footage of King Farouq of Egypt. There's neither audio narrative (just music) nor subtitles so language isn't an issue. The background music is classical, but you won't lose anything without sound. (If it's Aida, the usual monarchical era classical music, it doesn't include the Grand March, which is the only thing I can recognize.) Whoever posted this to YouTube is obviously an Egyptian monarchist, since he calls it "King Farouk the Greatest," but he's welcome to his opinion. It's not widely shared. The Egyptian Royalty group on Facebook has just under 10,000 followers, but given Egypt's population of 80 million plus, that's hardly a groundswell. And a lot off those aren't in Egypt. That, plus the fact that the pretender (if he bothers, which he doesn't seem to), Prince Muhammad ‘Ali, Prince of the Sa‘id, has had to cope with rumors he has Israeli citizenship (apparently untrue, though his mother, who had converted to Islam to marry Fuad, reverted to her native Judaism). Anyway it's unlikely that monarchy is coming back, except in the Syrian/ North Korean model of a hereditary republic, if the Mubarak dynasty occurs.
The video includes shots from early in the reign of Farouq, the young King who actually spoke Arabic instead of Turkish and was genuinely popular at first, through his post-deposition exile. Most of the post-exile clip is a slide show of stills. You'll see two weddings (Farida first and Nariman second). You'll also see him sailing away from Egypt with his infant son in his arms. That infant was Egypt's last king, Ahmad Fuad II, who "reigned" theoretically from exile until the monarchy was abolished a year after the coup.
Note, as you watch these videos, Farouq's increasing chubbiness and, eventually, obesity. I'm not one to talk, since I wouldn't want you looking at comparable shots of my aging process, since I chubbed up too.But there's also a Picture of Dorian Gray aspect to it all: the King became more dissolute as he became fatter. Watch the video, and scroll down since I have one further comment.
Now my final note: that baby in the King's arms as he sailed into exile is still alive, about 58 now, and just about a year ago (a year yesterday in fact), when Farouq's last daughter Princess Ferial died, I blogged ahout Egypt's last King's appearance at her funeral, and ran this picture:
I doubt if by now you need to be told that the chap second from left is (deposed) King Ahmad Fuad II of Egypt. The overprint letters are from al-Yom al-7, who took the pictures. He's also the infant in those 1952 videos. The Royal Family is actually allowed to come and go in Egypt if they like, though they don't seem comfortable there.
But I was struck by how much Fuad II, who appeared handsome in youthful photos, now has become his father. Look at the videos of his father in the clip above, or at his father's Time cover:
The resemblance is not only unmistakable, but I suspect Ahmad Fuad (who gives his interviews in French, not Arabic, and has lived in Switzerland most of his life) is cultivating the look. Unless round eyeglasses are more popular in Switzerland than here.
Egypt is having a curious resurgence of interest in the monarchy, which I've blogged about before, perhaps because of the apparent dynastic intentions of the regime, but no great groundswell calling for the return of the dynasty.
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This blog has taken no notice of Prince William's recent engagement; the ghost of my Irish great-grandmother would haunt me if I showed much interest in the House of Windsor. But I did find it amusing to see a writer in the Saudi English-language paper Arab News' indignation that the British press keeps running polls on whether Prince William, instead of his father, should succeed when Queen Elizabeth goes.
I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the news that King ‘Abdullah is heading to the US for medical treatment and his Crown Prince also-ailing Prince Sultan (also in his 80s) is filling in, but the author is rather livid that the British press might speculate about lines of succession:
Since the public has no say whatsoever when it comes to the royal line of succession, such polls are not only inconsequential but are also hurtful to the royal family. The Daily Mail got into the act as well with a Harris poll showing 48 percent of respondents prefer King William to King Charles.
For one thing, such questions are premature when the queen at age 82 is still healthy and has sworn to serve as monarch until her last breath. Indeed, if she carries the same genes as the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother she could remain on the throne for up to 20 years. Any speculation as to who should succeed her is disrespectful and akin to dancing on her grave.
No, nothing to do with succession speculation anywhere else. No lèse majesté for us please, we're Saudi.
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Though ‘Abdullah's health has not been as precarious as his Crown Prince/brother Prince Sultan's, he is 86 years old. Sultan, who will run the Kingdom in his absence, was himself absent for most of last year, undergoing surgery in the US and a long recovery period at his palace in Agadir, Morocco.
The Hajj supervision was delegated to Prince Nayef, considered unofficially next in line after Sultan. The advancing age of the senior generation is likely to provoke new speculation about when and how the succession will pass to the next generation, the grandsons of the founder.
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Also, two profiles of the new ruler, Sheikh Sa‘ud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, again from The Nationaland Gulf News.
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Over at Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel, Simon Henderson offers his take on the return of Prince Bandar. He sees it as possibly related to other repositionings in anticipation of succession in in the Kingdom. As he himself acknowledges, those who talk as if they know what's going on in the Royal Family, don't (and those that know don't talk), but it's interesting speculation.
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Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former almost-permanent Saudi Ambassador to the US, has returned to Saudi Arabia after having dropped from sight for nearly two years. This English-language Saudi report doesn't say where he's been; others say he's been undergoing medical treatment in London involving at least four surgeries and a long recovery. Arabic accounts are here, here, and here, among others, all saying the same thing. For the non-Arabists, here's an account in Italian, since there are few in English. As The Gulf Blog notes, and as I have noted previously, there has been no shortage of rumors and speculation: he's ill; he's in jail; he's in trouble. Officially, at least, it was the former. But given his high international profile, why was his whereabouts so closely held?
Ah, when you combine royalty, intelligence matters, and backroom diplomacy, things get murky. Anyway, he's back.
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Given the fact that half of all Tunisians are under 25 and that the Tunisian monarchy was abolished in 1957, I think it's quite safe to predict that whatever the future holds for the country, one thing we will not see is a groundswell of interest in restoring the old Beylical/Royal House, the Husseinids. Probably few Tunisians even think about the fact that they once had a monarchy. (Apparently there is a claimant somewhere, but so obscure even the Internet doesn't offer all that much information.) But you already know I throw in historical trivia from time to time.
