Prince Zeid bin Hussein

This article is about the former Head of the Royal House of Iraq. For his grandson, a former candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the UN, see Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein. For the Romanian village of Veseud, called Zied in German, see Chirpăr.
Zeid bin Hussein
Predecessor Faisal II of Iraq
Successor Ra'ad bin Zeid
Born February 28, 1898
Ottoman Empire
Died October 18, 1970(1970-10-18) (aged 72)
Paris, France
Spouse Fahrelnissa Zeid
Issue Ra'ad bin Zeid
House Hashemite
Father Hussein bin Ali
Mother Adila Khanum


Map presented by TE Lawrence to the Eastern Committee of the War Cabinet in November 1918

Prince Zeid bin Hussein, GCVO, GBE (Arabic: الأمير زيد بن الحسين‎; February 28, 1898 – October 18, 1970) was an Iraqi prince who was a member of the Hashemite dynasty and the head of the Royal House of Iraq from 1958 until his death.

Biography

Prince Zeid was the only son of Hussein bin Ali, who was the Sharif and Emir of Mecca, and his third wife Adila Khanum. He was educated at Galatasaray High School in Stamboul (Istanbul), Constantinople College and Balliol College, Oxford.

From 1916 to 1919, Prince Zeid was the Commander of the Arab Northern Army. In 1918, T. E. Lawrence suggested that he be made king of a truncated Syria.[1] The advent of French rule resulted in his assignment in 1923 to the Iraqi Cavalry and he was promoted to Colonel.

Zeid was also Iraqi ambassador in Berlin and in Ankara in the 1930s and in London in the 1950s.

On July 14, 1958, Prince Zeid was appointed Head of the Royal House of Iraq, following the assassination of his great-nephew king Faisal II by General Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i, who proclaimed Iraq to be a republic. Zeid and his family continued to live in London, where the family resided during the coup, as Zeid was the Iraqi ambassador there.

Prince Zeid died in Paris on October 18, 1970, and was buried in the Royal Mausoleum at Raghdan Palace, Amman, Jordan. His son prince Ra'ad bin Zeid succeeded him as head of the Royal House of Iraq.

Marriage and children

In November 1933, Zeid married Princess Fahrelnissa Zeid in Athens, Greece. Together they had one son:

References

  1. ↑ Lawrence's Mid-East map, as displayed at Imperial War Museum, London
Prince Zeid bin Hussein
Born: February 28 1898 Died: October 18 1970
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
None
King Faisal II killed during coup d'état		 — TITULAR —
King of Syria and Iraq
July 14, 1958 – October 18, 1970
Reason for succession failure:
Kingdom abolished in 1920 & 1958		 Succeeded by
Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid


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