King Farouk I ... Last King of the Kingdom of Egypt
Reviewed by: Wafaa El-houseiny
Translated by: Nayira Salah Eddin
King Farouk I ... Last King of the Kindom of Egypt
He is Farouk bin Ahmed Fuad I bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Muhammed Ali Pasha
He was born on February,11,1920. His mother is Queen Nazly. King Fuad I chose him the title of the Prince of Upper Egypt, and he became the Crown Prince at a young age. He went to a high school in England. After his return, he ascended the throne at age 16 after his father’s death (King Fuad I ) on February 28, 1936. This was under the custodianship of the custodianship council which was responsible for his functions and prepared a program for him to complete his study. On July,29,1937, King Farouk ascended the throne constitutionally after his adulthood at age 18 ( Hijri calendar). In the same year, he signed a (Monterey) agreement that stipulated the cancellation of foreign concessions. In addition, Egypt joined the League of Nations.
During his Reigning period, the Air College (School of Higher Aviation ) was established in Almaza district in 1937 which turned into the Royal Aviation College in 1948. In addition, he established the Naval College and founded the Almoravid Army to cooperate with the army in defending the country.
He established the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Supervisory Office (known now as the Central
Auditing Organization CAO).
He issued the Employees’ Equity Act to raise wages and improve living conditions, the Judiciary Act regarding Judiciary independence, and signed the Arab League’s Protocol.
He established the Real Estate Service and the country’s Council to fight poverty, ignorance, and disease.
He was keen to visit Al Mahalla factories, established Delta Barrages, and inaugurated Asyut Barrages.
Furthermore, he established several hospitals and gave great importance to health care and the availability of treatment for all people at the expense of the country in public hospitals.
He also took care of education and the educational budget multiplied more than six times during his reign.
Moreover, it is also a credit to him to hold the first Parliamentary Conference for Arab and Islamic countries for Palestine, and the establishment of Farouk I University in Alexandria which started with some colleges affiliated to Fuad I University in Cairo in 1938, and the inauguration of Fuad I Agricultural Museum.
In October 1951, he was titled by the king of Egypt and Sudan. His rule continued for sixteen years till he was impeached after the July 23, 1952 revolution. The king and his family were deported to Italy on the board Al Mahrousa yacht on which his grandfather Isma’il Pasha left when he was impeached.
He died in Roma, the Italian capital, on March 18, 1965, when he was 45. His dead body was transported to Egypt where he was buried in Al Refaai Mosque beside his father, King Fuad I.
